Unplanned parenthood
by Angstosaur
Summary: Previously posted elsewhere as 'WTF' - but this will be an extended version, with more chapters. Set pre- 'Something Borrowed' and a few months after Jack's return from 'The Year That Never Was'. Owen is still breathing and Gwen is still unmarried. Standalone - not tied into other fics at all. Contains sexual references, swearing, mpreg, angst and cliffhangers.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"What?"

Two mugs of coffee fell to the floor, smashing on the concrete, their steaming contents splashing onto the highly polished shoes of Ianto Jones. Normally he would have been annoyed at the mess made, but what he'd just heard made him oblivious to the hot liquid slowly soaking into the edges of his neatly pressed suit trousers.

"It's positive." Jack waved a white plastic stick in the air. A nervous smile holding his lips curved in a hopeful expression as he could virtually see the steam coming from Ianto's nostrils.

"What?" The glare was sufficiently piercing to cut through the thick atmosphere which had descended around the sofa upon which Jack was sitting.

"Look – this one here – two blue bands - positive and this one ... and this one…" Jack fished out a variety of indicator sticks from his pockets and laid them out on the low table in front of him. He was beginning to wish he'd waited for Ianto to sit down before breaking the news to him.

"Fuck."

"Yeah." The smile deserted Jack's face as he could see that Ianto wasn't going to be jumping for joy any time soon.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." Ianto shook his head as he found himself unable to tear his eyes away from the evidence laid out before him.

"Trust me – I'm not. Sit down, Ianto, before you fall over."

"But-"

"Yeah?"

"You're a bloke!"

"And?"

"Blokes don't get pregnant unless they're still women, or they absorbed their own twin brother while they were still in the womb - you know, like on those documentaries on Channel 5."

"You don't watch those do you?"

"Just for research," Ianto quickly tried to defend his inadvertent admission to watching trashy TV shows. "Some of the freakier examples could be aliens –"

"Are you calling me a freak?" Jack growled – memories of the Master's use of that word to describe him still sharp in his memories.

"Are you telling me you're pregnant?" Ianto countered acerbically.

"Sit down, please." Jack patted the seat next to him and was relieved when Ianto sat down, even if he made sure they weren't actually touching. "Yes, I am telling you that I'm pregnant."

"What made you decide to take a test anyway?" Ianto pointed at the table in front of them.

"Belt was getting a bit tight – had to go onto the next notch." Jack shrugged as if that should have been self explanatory.

"And you didn't put that down to excess pie consumption? You've been stuffing your face with doughnuts and pastries since you got back."

"I don't put on weight," Jack said truculently, his lips quivering on the verge of an indignant pout.

"Excuse me, who buys your clothes for you?" Ianto rolled his eyes. He knew that since Jack had returned his waist had definitely got thicker and he'd bought new trousers the next size up to accommodate Jack's weight gain.

"The sizing – it's not consistent anymore …"

"OK – so you're beginning to what– show?" Ianto found it odd using phrases associated with women's gossip in direct reference to his male lover. "So, that must mean you're at least – what – three months?"

"Make that four", Jack winced as he watched Ianto grow paler by the minute. " – more abdominal muscle tone, it's further along than you'd imagine."

"Fuck – that means…"

"Yeah, too late to stop it now."

"How do I know it's mine?" Ianto turned sharply to look at Jack and narrowed his eyes.

"What does that mean?" Jack was hurt, but considering how he'd flirt with anything with a pulse, he could see how Ianto would feel the need to question the parentage of any child he was carrying.

"Well, you were on the TARDIS for a while – and maybe…"

"Are you suggesting that I …with the Doctor?" Jack laughed out loud, regardless of the outraged expression on Ianto's face.

"Oh please – if I had a pound for every time I heard you call out his name -"

"That's not the same – I was waiting for him for over a hundred years, we've been through this-"

"Context, Jack," Ianto pointed at Jack angrily. "There's one thing needing to find answers to your whole Captain Scarlet routine, but I can't imagine how that would translate into 'harder, Doctor… oh yeah…' I could go on, but I think you're catching my drift?"

"Ouch. Sorry?" Jack had genuinely thought that Ianto had never heard those slip ups, but apparently he had. Damn. "But, I…we … it never happened, OK? I promise."

Ianto ran his hand through his hair and considered the timing. Four months.

"So – this has happened since you got back from your travels."

"Yes. I swear to you, it's yours, I haven't let anyone else … you know …"

"Right then." Ianto took a deep breath and turned once more to look at Jack, determined not to let his eyes stray any where near the other man's abdomen. "How about an explanation? Because the last time I looked you just had a dick and balls like most blokes - there's nothing special lurking under your clothes."

"You wound me, Ianto – how can you say that?"

"Put it this way – you haven't got tits and certainly no more than the usual openings – bloody hell, I do know what you've got down there and apart from a little less hair, your tackle's no different from mine!"

"It's bigger!"

"No it's not – OK, maybe it's a bit thicker, but mine's longer!"

"Tape measure!"

"You cheated! Length is measured from the base, not the underside!"

Both men glared at each other, neither wanting to back down. Eventually Jack looked away and breathed out slowly before broaching a subject he knew had to be tackled.

"I'm kinda hermaphrodite. I've got female genitalia as well – inside."

"Why? Some sort of 51st century fashion accessory? Are you an alien after all?"

"No, it's not like that, although I think maybe alien DNA was used. In the future there will be a programme of genetic programming for individuals destined to colonise distant planets. Colony ships of cryogenically stored individuals will be sent out to star systems containing planets capable of supporting human life. In order to populate communities rapidly and reduce the risks of inbreeding, it will be deemed beneficial if each individual selected for the programme can both father offspring and carry them."

"So these ships were – I mean will be – full of men with wombs? Or women with penises?" Ianto tried to get his head around the idea and frowned as he tried to make sense of it all. "Why not just send out a bunch of women with a freezer full of donated sperm samples?"

Jack smiled indulgently and decided that it wasn't the time to explain that the nuances of the society in which he'd been brought up.

"Actually – they were all anatomically male in appearance with internal female genitalia. Don't ask why. Anyway, some of their children born were female, some male and others hermaphrodite like their parents."

"And you - ?"

"I was born on a colony planet, as a hermaphrodite."

"Fuck." Ianto's head hit the back of the sofa with a thud, emphasising his reaction to Jack's revelation.

"Is that all you can say?" Jack was beginning to despair of Ianto's monosyllabic responses. They never boded well.

"So – when were you going to mention this?"

"I'm telling you now." Jack shrugged.

"What? I think it's a bit bloody late to be telling me this now!" Ianto scrunched up his eyes and then sat bolt upright and fixed Jack with an accusatory glare. "Hang on - you told me we didn't need to use condoms!"

"We didn't! The levels of oestrogen in the rain are usually more than enough to –"

"What the fuck?" This time Ianto looked as if he was about to explode with rage. "Are you now trying to tell me that you've been relying on getting rained on as a contraceptive? No wonder you settled in Wales!"

"I only needed very low concentrations to prevent ovulation –"

"The Pill?" Ianto interjected sarcastically. "I know it's not foolproof, but I imagine its efficiency is pretty high compared to standing on a roof with your mouth open waiting for it to bloody rain!"

"It's always worked in the past-" Jack paused as he took a good look at Ianto, who was showing all the signs of someone about to go into shock. "You're not dealing with this too well are you?"

"No, I'm not and I'm not going to apologise either – an unplanned, unexpected pregnancy puts most normal men of my age into a tailspin and I claim my right to act freaked out and panicked – is that alright with you?"

Ianto's voice had risen in volume and pitch sufficiently that Jack could tell that the question was rhetorical and didn't require a response.

"So, where do we go from here?"

"Right now, I'm going home and I'm going to get rat arsed – so fucking drunk, even Owen would be proud of me." Ianto stood up, tugged his jacket straight and smoothed his trousers. "Then, when I regain consciousness, possibly on the bathroom floor, maybe this will all have been a fucking awful nightmare sparked off by one too many of your outrageous stories."

"Ianto – you can't go!" Jack reached out, but failed to catch hold of Ianto before he walked away from the sofa and made a beeline for the exit.

"Watch me. This is me leaving – don't call me, don't come by the flat – just … don't."

With that, Ianto strode purposefully towards the cog wheel door not looking back once. If he had, he would have seen Jack sadly biting his lip as he unbuckled his belt, popped open the button to his trousers and gently rubbed his growing belly.

"That could have gone better. Don't worry, he'll come to terms with this – you wait and see, he's just a bit overwhelmed, that's all."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Jack slid the key into the lock as quietly as he could, not wanting to incur the wrath of Ianto if he was wide awake and sober, however much he doubted either would be the case. He hadn't dared to phone up, just in case Ianto had gone to bed - he never took well to being woken up once he had managed to fall asleep.

However, Jack had been unable to sleep; he needed to talk to someone and to Ianto in particular. It was only on the way over that it occurred to him that if Ianto had drunk himself into a stupor there wouldn't be much point in talking to him and he'd almost turned back to the Hub. Then, finally, he realised that considering the state that Ianto had been in, he really shouldn't have let him storm off to get drunk on his own.

The first thing Jack noticed as he stepped into the flat was that although the lights were still on, there was no sound to be heard. Closing the door softly behind him, he reached down to remove his boots – no point irritating Ianto further by walking mud into his carpet.

A quick peek into the living room confirmed that it was unoccupied, but the discarded suit jacket and assorted empty spirit bottles on the simple pine coffee table made it clear that Ianto had been there. Jack frowned as he mentally catalogued the labels that were all the evidence of the gin, whisky, vodka and rum that had been imbibed. He could picture Ianto gathering whatever he could find to drink and methodically working through one bottle after another until he'd achieved oblivion.

On one hand it saddened Jack that his 'news' had been quite so devastating and on the other he was envious, as he'd also felt like getting thoroughly drunk when the first pregnancy test proved positive. By the time he'd carried out twenty of them, he'd almost come to terms with the results.

Sighing heavily, Jack made his way to the bedroom, hoping to find Ianto passed out in there, because he really didn't want to find him collapsed on the bathroom floor. Unfortunately the bedroom was as deserted as the living room, but what was worse was that it showed no signs of having been occupied that evening. The bed was still perfectly made up – the duvet fluffed up, not even bearing the impression of a body.

The door to the bathroom wouldn't open all the way, there was something behind it – somebody. Looking through the gap revealed Jack's suspicions to be true – Ianto Jones lay in the sort of heap that made him look like a puppet whose strings had been cut. A dark red smudge on the washbasin caused Jack to take a sharp intake of breath, especially when he saw the fresh abrasion on Ianto's forehead that told yet another chapter in the story of how he'd spent his evening.

Jack cursed himself for not finding a better way of telling his lover he was pregnant. He'd only had to do it once before in his entire life and that time the father had just punched him. Mind you he'd hit him back straight away. Then they'd had a full blown fight that ended up in angry make up sex. All par for the course for that relationship.

However, this was Ianto and they didn't trade blows, apart from that one time when Ianto had punched him in the face and even though that had bloody hurt he'd not hit him back. Jack didn't want to imagine what had been going through Ianto's head as he'd sat on his own pouring alcohol down his throat, with no purpose other than to blot out the fact that he'd told him that he was to be the father of his unborn child.

A groaning sound alerted Jack to the fact that Ianto was either regaining consciousness or about to vomit, or maybe even both. As it happened, it was the former closely followed by the latter.

Jack was glad that he'd decided to risk the younger man's anger by stopping by at his flat, at least he could take care of the aftermath of his announcement. Once he'd cleaned up Ianto, undressed him and put him to bed in the recovery position, he washed the bathroom floor and bundled up the wrecked clothes, putting them into a plastic bag that he tied off.

Then he put his coat back on and settled down on top of the bed, next to Ianto. He still couldn't sleep, but he wasn't going to let Ianto out of his sight for now, not until they'd come to some decisions. He owed him that much.

* * *

Ianto eventually forced open an eyelid to prove to himself that there weren't actually weevils attempting River Dance routines on the laminate flooring of the bedroom. The thudding in his skull was apparently his own brain attempting to escape. The light spilling in through the open curtains hurt his eyes, so he squinted as he blearily focused on the radio alarm until he could make out the numbers: 8:04am. _Fuck_ - he'd overslept.

Ianto's mouth and throat felt dry, in fact worse than dry – they felt as though they'd been vacuumed. Running his tongue over his teeth, he had the awful realisation that he'd been sick at some point. Reaching out blindly, his hand made contact with the bottle of water he kept on the nightstand – strangely it seemed to move a few centimetres closer so that he could grasp it more easily. A few gulps of water refreshed his mouth but as soon as the cool liquid hit his stomach, he felt it rebel furiously and had to swallow hard to ensure it stayed down.

"You gonna puke again? Let me know and I'll fetch a bucket."

"Jack?" In an automatic response to waking up to find Jack in his bedroom, Ianto did a quick check under the bedclothes and confirmed that he was, indeed, naked. But Jack was dressed, still in his coat, crouching next to the bed. "We didn't go weevil hunting again did we?"

"No," Jack stated firmly. "Do you remember anything about last night at all?"

"Umm… can you give me a clue?" Ianto tried to sit up, but the room was spinning around him so fast that he decided to stay lying down until it slowed down.

"By the time I got here you were passed out and hugging the bathroom floor. But it did look as if you'd tried to crawl into a bottle and die. Make that four bottles."

"Fuck."

"Coming back to you yet?"

"Shit." Ianto rolled onto his stomach and pulled a pillow over his head.

"Would that be 'yes'?"

Jack reached down to lift the pillow away from Ianto's head.

"Ianto?"

"Please tell me I inhaled hallucinogenic alien gas and then came home and got drunk." Ianto groaned into the mattress, unable to face Jack, worried at what he might see.

"Sorry – only half right."

"Shit. So I didn't imagine it and you are pregnant?" Ianto still held onto the forlorn hope that Jack would burst out laughing and tell him that he'd been winding him up all along. Then he'd kill him, but at least he'd be able to face getting out of bed.

"Yeah – and we really need to talk about that."

"Oh God …"

* * *

Jack steered Ianto into the autopsy bay and propped him against the examination table.

"Stand there and I'll get you one of those pills that Owen takes for hangovers."

"What – he has special pills?"

"How else do you think he functions half the time?"

"Fair point."

"Here – and drink some water with it."

Once Ianto had swallowed the small green pill, he stood back as Jack placed a hand on the scanner and the machine illuminated the white tiled wall with a rotating image of Jack's internal organs. This wasn't a view that Ianto's delicate constitution was ready for, especially the wriggling foetus that appeared to be floating just above Jack's bladder.

Jack only just made it across the room in time to grab hold of Ianto as his knees buckled and he began to slide downwards.

"Whoa there." Jack grabbed hold of Ianto, pressing him against the wall, a knee between his legs to keep him from falling any further.

"What the fuck's going on? I thought I'd told you two never to play doctors and nurses in here again!"

"Give me a hand here, Owen – Ianto's about to faint."

"Not fainting – just feeling a bit queasy that's all." Ianto braced his hands against the wall behind him, the coolness of the tiles a pleasant relief for his clammy palms.

"You sick?" Owen scowled as he took in the pasty appearance of Ianto's face. "You're looking a bit on the green side."

"No, he's not sick – just hung over."

"What?" Owen feigned confusion. "Didn't think you had to get him drunk to shag him."

"Shut the fuck up, Owen, or at least taunt him quietly – my head is killing me." Ianto had his eyes shut, not willing to take the risk that his stomach was ready to deal with the reality of Jack's condition projected on the wall in front of him.

"You need one of my special pills-"

"I already gave him one," Jack interrupted.

Owen frowned and began to look genuinely concerned as it was obvious that Ianto was feeling quite ill. He needed Jack to get him settled while he fetched his diagnostic scanner.

"OK then, sit him down on the floor and I'll – what the fuck is that?!"

Jack spun round to see Owen pointing in horror at the frozen image displayed on the wall.

"Harkness, is that what it fucking looks like?"

"What does it look like, Owen?" Jack shrugged as nonchalantly as he could, which wasn't easy sitting on the floor with Ianto burying his head into his shoulder as if seeking to disappear without trace.

"My medical opinion is that it looks like a human foetus."

"Um … well… you see …"

"Fucking hell – teaboy's got you up the duff hasn't he?" Owen prodded Ianto with his foot.

The doctor's words filtered through to Ianto and he was disturbed by the fact that Owen sounded outraged rather than incredulous. There was only one conclusion he could come to:

"Owen – did you know that Jack could get pregnant?"

"Of course I knew – I'm his doctor, I've scanned his innards often enough. Bizarre arrangement of ducts leading from the wall of the rectum through to the vestigial uterus – but never fully developed-"

"Oestrogen in the rain prevented them opening fully-" Jack helpfully enlightened the medic.

"For fuck's sake. You stupid bastard - I could have given you a subdermal implant to keep the levels up to prevent this from happening!"

"I never thought-"

"Shut up, both of you – now!" Ianto yelled, pushing Jack away from him. "So, Owen knew that you were capable of getting pregnant, but you never bothered telling me? Either of you?"

"Patient confidentiality," Owen stated, glaring at Jack.

"Ianto, you have to understand – it was on a need-to-know basis." Jack ran his hand through his hair, wondering how the hell matters had managed to get even worse.

"I think I **needed** to **know** that sticking **my** cock in **your** arse could get **you** pregnant." Ianto didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to, his eyes bored holes through Jack's skull as deftly as any sharp implement. He was beyond angry.

Jack took a breath as if to he was about to defend his decision to keep those facts to himself, but realising there was no plausible defence, he let the breath out again in a noisy sigh and resigned himself to the fact that this pregnancy was going to go no better than the last one. There had been a damn good reason why he had said 'never again'.

"Congratulations, Jones, despite many years working for Torchwood, your sperm are still viable." Owen slapped Ianto on the back. "That's quite a medical achievement by all accounts. Mind you, you'll have to fight it out with Jack over paternity leave."

"Please, tell me this isn't happening-" Ianto groaned.

It was then that Ianto noticed how thoroughly dejected Jack was looking and he suddenly felt a twinge of guilt. He'd not stopped to think how Jack must be feeling about all of this. Not wanting to say anything out loud in front of Owen, he reached out to take hold of Jack's hand and was rewarded by a surprised, yet grateful smile.

"Meanwhile, I'll have to check with the deep tissue scanner, but that looks like it's well into its second trimester." Owen took a step nearer the suspended image on the wall and pointed at the curled foetal shape. "Which means you're officially off active duty, Harkness. Also, I'm relinquishing you of command on medical grounds."

"You can't do that, Owen!" Jack growled angrily. It was what he'd feared and why he'd been determined not to let Owen find out until much later on.

"Yes, I fucking can and what's more, you can't stay in Cardiff either."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

"What did you say?" Jack looked outraged as if he really couldn't believe that Owen had the nerve to suggest he leave Cardiff.

"You're going to have to be isolated."

"What? You're gonna send me away like a naughty girl with a dirty secret?"

"Bloody hell, Jack – you're not exactly a low profile figure here in Cardiff and that coat may cover a multitude of sins but there's no way it's going to hide your ever-expanding waistline for long!"

"He's got a point, Jack." Ianto chewed his lower lip nervously. "You can't go dashing around the city fighting weevils and dealing with the police in your condition."

"My condition? Is that what you're calling this, Ianto? I'm having your child – you'd better get used to that idea!"

"I don't give a toss whose baby you're carrying, Jack, the fact remains that you can't go back in the field until you've … you're not pregnant any more… Owen's right."

"I can stay in the Hub –"

"What about Gwen and Tosh?" Owen interjected. "What are you going to tell them?"

"I hadn't thought – Ianto, this concerns you as well." Jack reached out and took hold of Ianto's hand. "What do you think?"

"To be honest, I think it would be a bad idea – Gwen would want to throw a baby shower and Tosh would want to dissect you." Ianto shuddered at the thought of the balloons and ribbons, he hated balloons.

"And Gwen would probably let something slip to Rhys …" Owen mused.

"Yes, that's a point – unless we retconned her at the end of every day." Ianto wondered how many times he could retcon Gwen before she became psychotic.

"Tempting though that may be, she's proven resistant to retcon in the past," Owen shook his head. " – all it would take would be a pram on the Plas and it would all come back to her."

"Shit – you're right, Owen." Ianto scowled as he contemplated other means to keep their secret safe.

"Jack – it's too dangerous for you to stay here. We know that UNIT take a keen interest in anything we do, and then there's the Rift itself – the three of us know what it can do and it'd be bad enough if a pregnant woman got taken, but if it took you…"

"Fuck, I hadn't thought of that – he's right, you really can't stay here." Ianto could see that it wouldn't be safe for Jack to stay in Cardiff.

"I guess you've got a point. Any suggestions, Owen? And don't think of sending me to Scotland, Archie would make me dress up in a skirt and wear a wig, just for the hell of it!"

"Scotland?" Ianto looked worried. He agreed with Owen that Jack had to leave Cardiff until after he'd had the baby, but he hadn't considered him being that far away. He was beginning to sense a need to protect Jack and this baby, which was a new sensation and one that made him feel rather uneasy.

"No, not that far. I'll need to be able to visit regularly to conduct check ups, although I've no idea what constitutes normal in a pregnant bloke. This is virgin territory for me -"

"Not for me," mumbled Jack, a sardonic smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"What the fuck do you mean by that? Have you been pregnant before?" Ianto demanded, unaccountably jealous. "I thought that was just one of your weird jokes!"

"I guess I should've mentioned that earlier – this isn't my first pregnancy."

A dangerous silence descended on the autopsy bay, as Ianto and Owen both gazed at Jack open-mouthed.

"Fuck. How the hell did you manage?" Owen ran a hand through his hair looking exasperated. "Who was the doctor? Maybe we could-"

"No." Jack shook his head. "It happened a long time ago, before I came here… in the fifty first century."

Ianto frowned as he took on board the latest in a line of revelations.

"So, somewhere out there, you have a child?"

Jack took a deep breath and bit his tongue. This wasn't the time to tell Ianto that he'd also fathered several children, one of whom was alive and well, and living not far down the M4.

"It's complicated– I was kinda stuck in a time loop-"

"Oh no, are you telling me that… oh fuck!" Ianto pulled his hand free from Jack's grasp and pounded his fist repeatedly against the tiled wall. "John-fucking-tosser-Hart! He said you were partners in every way – so parents as well, huh? I hope to god that any child you produced was a girl because I'd hate to think that out there in the galaxy there's some testosterone-fuelled wanker that inherited genes from you two!"

"Ianto!" Jack went to grab hold of Ianto's arm before he did any further damage to his reddened knuckles.

"Bloody hell, Harkness." Owen moved to the other side of Ianto to keep him from hurting either himself or Jack. "Talk about carrying the spawn of Satan. Hold up Ianto – you're going to pass out again if you keep doing that-"

"I didn't faint." Ianto relented in his struggling and allowed Owen to turn his hand over to check out the damage inflicted.

"You nearly passed out earlier – I saw it."

Ianto leant back against the wall, with Owen on one side ostensibly checking from cracked knuckles, and Jack on the other side looking shifty.

"So, you and Hart had a kid together?" Ianto asked Jack, trying to keep a lid on a jealous rage that he'd not expected.

"Never went full term. Temporal anomalies really mess with embryonic development. Had to have it terminated…" Jack shrugged.

It hadn't bothered Jack at the time, he was a different person then and the thought of being pregnant had threatened to severely cramp his style. However, he was now secretly pleased that it was too late for him to have to think about terminating this pregnancy. He felt quite protective of the child he was carrying this time. The fact that it had apparently survived when he'd been impaled by the sleeper agent's sword-arm seemed to suggest that there was something special about it. But that was another secret he thought best not to share with Ianto, not yet, and not while he was in quite such a murderous mood.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I guess …" Ianto looked remorseful. He could see that Jack was upset and he was still struggling to come to terms with the fact that the man leaning against him was pregnant, never mind that he was the father. Father – the word was imbued with responsibility on one hand and memories on the other, unpleasant memories.

Owen had pulled over a lab stool and had perched on it to carefully observe the behaviour of the two men sitting on the floor of his autopsy bay. Not the most hygienic of places. However, he watched quietly as they leaned into each other, an almost tangible truce falling over them. He could see that Ianto was beginning to consider how this was affecting Jack and that the older man was starting to realise that Ianto was understandably in shock having got his male boss pregnant. He wondered if Jack had any comprehension of how confused Ianto had been about the status of their relationship before he'd dropped this bombshell.

As Jack gently took hold of Ianto's hand and softly kissed the bruised knuckles, Owen coughed loudly to remind him that they weren't alone.

"I was thinking about the safe house in Snowdonia."

"The quarantine home?" Jack frowned.

"That's the one. It's got a fully equipped operating theatre in the basement and medical facilities for coping with most medical emergencies. I take it I'll be delivering it by c-section?"

Jack nodded.

"It's not been used for a while, but I go up there every three months to make sure it's ready if needed. There's a network linking it into the Torchwood mainframe, so you could keep involved with any operations in Cardiff and liaise by phone with the police or government agencies if necessary."

"Where do we say I've gone?" Jack wasn't happy with the idea of leaving Cardiff, but being pregnant definitely made his position as leader of Torchwood untenable if he was unable to exert a physical presence.

"Sabbatical. Secret assignment. It's not as if you disappearing suddenly is an unexpected event any more."

* * *

A month later, Ianto was woken in the middle of the night by his phone ringing. It had become a regular event. Sighing to himself he took the phone from under his pillow and scrambled to turn on the bedside lamp.

"Jack? What's the matter? … You can't sleep? … Yes I was … no, it's ok, I'm awake now … yes, I do … what? … guess… yeah, same as usual… missing you, too…"

* * *

Jack couldn't sleep. It was too quiet. The farmhouse was situated in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. His contact with other people had been restricted to weekly visits from Owen to check his vitals and scan his abdomen. The farmer's wife who looked after the living quarters came in twice a week to vacuum the rugs, change the bedclothes and leave pre-cooked meals in the fridge for heating up. She was retained by Torchwood for a significant amount of money, sufficient to prevent her from asking questions or prying into the locked areas of the property.

Rinsing his tea mug out at the sink, Jack looked out into the dark night and thought about calling Ianto. A quick glance at his watch made him wince. It was far too late. Ianto had sounded exhausted when he'd called the previous night. Jack felt guilty enough that his team had all been lumbered with extra work to do in his absence. The reason for Ianto sounding so tired was that there had been heavy rain storms flooding the sewers and flushing out weevils onto the streets. Ianto hadn't told him that of course, no, he'd found that out by looking through the logs of activity on the Torchwood computer system. Apparently the high tide coupled with heavy rainfall feeding the streams that flowed into the Taff had even caused Ianto's Tourist Office to be flooded.

* * *

By six o'clock in the morning, Jack thought he could risk calling Ianto. He frowned when Ianto's landline went straight to voicemail. Then he swore to himself as he remembered that Ianto had been sleeping in his quarters to make sure the Hub was manned overnight. Selecting his mobile number proved no more successful. There was no answer, it kept ringing but then cut off. Maybe Ianto was in the shower already?

In the back of his mind a jingling of alarm bells prompted Jack to access the Torchwood network. He frowned as he saw that there had been several reports of weevil activity in Penarth in the past six hours.

Calling the Hub he grew more anxious as he recognised the tone that indicated his call had been automatically transferred to the team's comm. units. It meant that they were all in the field, which wasn't a good sign.

"_Jack_?" Gwen's voice screeched in his ear. She was evidently out in the open, the sounds of wind and rain clear over the line. "_What is it? – we're sort of busy right now."_

"Gwen? What's going on? Is everyone OK?" Jack could detect a hint of panic and could imagine her, wide-eyed and drenched to the skin. Something was wrong. The alarm bells were now clanging loud and clear in his head.

_"__I'll call you later, Jack – please, now really isn't a good time …"_

It was then that Jack heard both Tosh and Owen shouting urgently in the background:

_"__Ianto?"_

_"__Ianto!"_

His free hand reached down involuntarily to his swollen belly as Jack gripped the phone to his ear and demanded to know what the hell was going on.

_"__They're just checking on his position, that's all Jack… nothing to worry about … Owen?"_

Jack listened on in horror as the frantic exchanges between Tosh, Owen and Gwen made it clear that he had every reason to worry. If it was only half as bad as it sounded there was a chance the child he was carrying would never see its father.

_"__There he is!"_

_"__Where?"_

_"__Down there!"_

_"__Oh, fuck!"_

_"__What about the weevil?"_

_"__I can't see – it's too dark!"_

_"__Ianto – hang on! Don't let go!"_

* * *

Thirty feet from the top of the cliff, Ianto Jones clung onto a narrow ledge, his fingers digging into the soft, crumbling rock. The deadweight of the weevil that had fallen into the branches of a tree clinging to the side of the cliff was pulling at the soil at its base, inexorably loosening the already precarious ledge – Ianto could feel it slipping away from underneath him.

He felt a vibration in his pocket, his mobile ringing again, and he knew it was Jack. He wondered whether he'd have time to say goodbye, if he managed to get the phone from his pocket, before the cliff fell away from under his body and he plunged into the raging sea. His rain-soaked coat was heavy about his legs, making them ache and he could feel his arms being painfully wrenched from his shoulder sockets as he held on tight to a large boulder embedded in the cliff face. The sound of the waves crashing onto the rocks and the wind whipping around his ears drowned out the sounds of his angry cries. There had once been a time when he'd have welcomed the numbing embrace of the cold sea, but not now. Not now.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Jack swallowed down the bile that was rising in his throat and set about pinpointing the position of his team. Owen had spoken to him briefly, describing Ianto's predicament before cutting off as Tosh called out that she'd got the rope from the SUV. The last thing Jack heard before the line went dead was Owen cursing the weather.

At the back of his mind was the thought that if anything happened to Ianto it would be his fault, because he'd not allowed the man to get a full night's sleep since he'd moved into the cottage in the north of Wales. He'd got into the habit of calling him late at night because that's when he knew he'd be on his own and able to talk freely.

The pressure of keeping Jack's pregnancy secret had been wearing on them both. Owen was hardly the easiest person to have a heart to heart with and although Jack knew that he had subtly run interference whenever Gwen tried to find out what Jack was up to, he'd not had much to offer Ianto in the way of support. Jack and Ianto communicated much better on a physical level than with words, so being restricted to mumbled, hesitant phone calls in the middle of the night had hardly been conducive to getting either man to admit to either fears or feelings.

Now, however, Jack needed to suppress the fears he felt coursing through his veins and co-ordinate the rescue from a distance. There was no way he could get there in person, so he made sure he made his presence felt as he put in calls to the emergency services and pulled as many strings as he could lay his hands on.

"Gwen!" He called out roughly over the phone line. "Listen up – do whatever you can do to secure Ianto's position until the rescue chopper gets there. They're on their way to your position along with an ambulance."

_"__Jack, I don't know if we can –"_ Gwen's voice shook as if she was as scared of Jack's reaction as she was of losing Ianto.

"Don't you dare lose him, Gwen Cooper – I'm depending on you."

* * *

If it hadn't been infuriating enough that there was no way he could get to the hospital to see Ianto, Jack had to put up with Gwen's indignation whenever he called to ask for a progress report. She didn't have to speak her mind, her tone of voice said it all – she was furious with him for not making the effort to get back to Cardiff to see Ianto. She basically accused him of not caring and that hurt. He cared more than he dared let any of them know.

Owen sent him pictures of Ianto in his hospital bed to prove to Jack that he was still alive and hadn't been dashed to pieces on the rocks at the bottom of Penarth Cliffs. The stark white bandages, tubes and monitors only served to remind Jack just how close he'd got to losing Ianto.

* * *

Owen put away his phone after sending yet another set of images of Ianto in bed to Jack. He almost felt as if he was being caught up in one of their weird sex games, until he looked up again at the sleeping face of Ianto Jones. He wanted him to wake up again so he could at least send Jack a picture of him with his eyes open, that might be more convincing proof that he was going to be alright. As it was Jack was pestering him night and day for updates on his condition.

It had taken Ianto a while to regain consciousness after he'd come out of surgery. Owen put that down to exhaustion and his body's need for a rest. Hardly surprising all things considered. He'd been lucky, only a few deep wounds that had caused significant blood loss, those from where jagged branches had torn into his legs as he'd hung from the cliff being battered by the elements. Bruises, cuts, torn ligaments, a couple of cracked ribs and a fractured radius – not too bad, not compared with the state the weevil had been in when they'd eventually fished it out of the sea.

Owen smiled at Tosh as she ran her fingertips over the cast on Ianto's left forearm. She had visited regularly and asked discreetly if Jack had been in touch. She was wise enough to know that there was more to Jack's 'secondment' than met the eye, but was also clever enough to know that she'd find out more by saying less. The dark circles under Ianto's eyes and the fact that he'd taken to spending the night in Jack's office had spoken volumes to her. She wondered if Jack was taking their separation as badly. Looking over at Owen tucking his mobile back in his pocket she smiled at him, knowing exactly who he'd been in touch with.

* * *

Jack had wondered if Owen would cancel his weekly visit in order to keep an eye on Ianto, although he desperately wanted to talk to him in person – find out how Ianto was getting on. Although he rarely slept, he had been napping during the day, partly due to the pregnancy and partly down to boredom, but since the accident he'd been unable to rest, anxious all the time that there might be setbacks to Ianto's recovery and not trusting the team to tell him. Especially Gwen, she was barely speaking to him. She couldn't understand how he could possibly abandon Ianto when he obviously needed him. If only she knew how much he'd needed Ianto in the past several weeks.

The sound of tyres on the gravel drive alerted Jack to the fact that Owen had come to perform his weekly check-up and he rubbed his face wearily. The log fire had made him drowsy and the effort of getting up from the over stuffed armchair slowed him down as he got to his feet. He frowned as he thought he heard more than one car door being slammed shut. Maybe it wasn't Owen? He took his gun from the pocket of his coat that was hanging on a hook by the front door and pulled the curtains back to see who it was. The grin that split his face took him by surprise, he'd had little cause for smiling in the past few months, let alone grinning like a fool.

"Oi – Harkness! I've got a visitor for you – come on and open the bloody door!"

Standing outside next to Owen was Ianto Jones, in jeans and jumper, looking pale but definitely alive. On the ground at his feet was a large holdall and several carrier bags.

"Owen said I had to take another week off work, reckoned I needed some fresh air and a rest."

"A week?"

"Yeah – I'm leaving him here with you and I'll collect him when I come up next week."

Jack wanted to rush over and grab hold of Ianto in a massive hug, but he appeared too fragile for that. Instead he walked over and wrapped an arm protectively around his shoulders and escorted him into the cottage.

Owen thoroughly berated Jack for not taking care of himself, having hardly eaten or slept and having allowed his blood pressure to rocket on several occasions since his last visit, which had been two weeks ago. He told him in no uncertain terms that unless he started behaving more responsibly he'd cancel any further conjugal visits. Owen had carried out his examination in the medical room, leaving Ianto to unpack the carrier bags of food in the kitchen with strict instructions to sit down as soon as he'd finished that task.

"How is he?" Jack looked in the direction of the kitchen. He was anxious for Owen to complete his scans and go so that he could he could be alone with Ianto, he'd not seen him for over six weeks and he'd missed him far more than he thought he would.

"Battered and bruised. Make sure he takes his painkillers and keep an eye on the wound dressings on his legs. The cast on his arm needs to be kept dry, other than that, he needs rest. Seriously, Jack, he's been working himself into the ground trying to do his job and yours. He was ready to drop from exhaustion before being taken over the edge of a cliff by a weevil."

"I know." Jack had the grace to look sheepish before a smile tweaked at the corners of his mouth. "So, what's this about conjugal visits plural? You going to bring him up here for regular visits from now on?"

"Yeah – it would probably do you both good. And he's not going to be in any state to go out in the field for a few weeks yet."

* * *

"This is surreal – the whole domestic thing." Ianto carefully set down his china cup and saucer on the antique walnut coffee table, before settling back on the sofa, Jack's body even closer than it had been moments earlier. He couldn't quite believe it was all real and that he wasn't inhabiting some perverse type of half way house between heaven and hell, having been splattered to death on the cliffs at Penarth. "So… we get to play at being a couple expecting their first baby, in a farmhouse, complete with babbling brook and ponies on the door step?"

"Don't knock it. Role play does wonders for my sex drive."

"You're unbelievable you know?" Ianto shook his head in dismay. "It's your bloody sex drive that got you here in the first place."

"Sorry? Seriously though, this is the closest we're ever likely to get to setting up home together and just having time to ourselves." Jack noted that Ianto couldn't look him in the eye as he said out loud what they both knew to be true. "I think we should make the most of it."

"I guess so." Ianto agreed, not altogether uncomfortable with the idea of spending some time alone with Jack, with no weevils, rift monitors or work colleagues interrupting them. He looked up, seeing Jack's hopeful expression and did his best to keep a straight face as he added: "– but you get to play the wife."

"Because I'm pregnant?" Jack all but squealed in mock outrage. "That's discrimination!"

"You can play nurse as well if you want …" A shy look from under lowered lashes was all it took from Ianto for him to win that argument.

* * *

The night sounds of owls hunting and sheep bleating on the hill sides had become the background music to his loneliness, but not on that particular night, not with Ianto curled up around him. Jack's arms cradled his lover, wary of the numerous injuries half healed and still capable of causing pain. Ianto's head was resting just under his chin, he could feel the warm breaths on his chest as the younger man snored gently in his sleep. But what made Jack happier than he could imagine was the hand that lay across his swollen abdomen, the thumb slowly rubbing the smooth skin. Jack smiled to himself as a tear silently rolled down his cheek.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Where the hell have you been?" Jack demanded as he flung open the door to the cottage and virtually dragged Ianto inside.

"No need to take the role of wife to heart quite so seriously." Ianto rolled his eyes fondly, but took note of the panicked look on Jack's face.

"Your note said you were just going for a walk to get some fresh air and to fetch some milk from the farm house – that was over two hours ago! I've been worried sick."

"You could have called me… oh." Ianto grimaced as Jack handed him his mobile phone.

"I tried. And where is the milk?"

"Oh shit, I left it up there. Do you want me to go back for it-"

"Don't you dare. Get those muddy boots off and then tell me what the hell you've been up to."

Ianto was bemused at the role reversal and put the fact that Jack was delivering his usual lines down to the hormones that must have been flooding his body. He crouched down to undo the laces on his boots before toeing them off and setting them on the newspaper that Jack had pointed at. It wasn't easy to do one-handed, but he didn't think that asking Jack for help would be a good idea in the circumstances.

"How about a nice hot drink first?" Ianto took Jack by the arm and steered him towards the kitchen. He figured that he needed to do something to bring down Jack's blood pressure or he'd be making an emergency call to Owen before the week was out.

"I'm not allowed coffee, as you well know. Those herbal teas are revolting and hot chocolate without milk is disgusting – what do you suggest?"

"Soup?"

Ianto slipped his hand into Jack's, anxious to make amends for getting him worried. He knew that the angry bluster was the other man's means of disguising his fears.

"Hey, you're freezing, Ianto. Come here."

Jack rubbed the back of the hand that Ianto offered to him, mindful of the bandages around the fingers, and then pulled him in for a gentle hug. After a morning of languorous love making, both men taking care not to hurt each other, he'd fallen asleep and not heard Ianto leave the cottage, waking later to find a note left on the pillow. After such a long enforced separation, he didn't like to lose sight of Ianto and he'd panicked when the hours stretched out with no sign of return. His doubts concerning how Ianto was really coping with impending fatherhood had resurfaced with a vengeance, he wondered if Ianto had fled back to Cardiff. However, the arm now firmly clasped around his body dispelled those particular fears.

"Let me warm up some soup for us and then there's something I need to talk to you about. OK?" Ianto pressed his chilled lips to Jack's forehead in an attempt to reassure him.

"Should I be worried?"

"I don't think so."

"Good."

* * *

"They've got llamas – did you know that? They thrive on the mountains up here."

"Llamas? Is this what you've been building up to?" Jack almost choked on a mouthful of soup, wondering if maybe Ianto had overdone the painkillers.

"Sort of." Ianto chewed his lower lip thoughtfully. "Jack, when the baby comes… we've not really discussed it properly… but, there's no way we can bring up a child and keep working for Torchwood."

"I guess it could be a challenge child-proofing the entire Hub." Jack set down his soup spoon and absently placed his hand on the bump beneath his shirt.

"It's barely adult proof," Ianto snorted. "The Health and Safety Executive would shut us down if they ever inspected the place."

"So we're not going to be showing the kid where his daddies work?"

"It's a boy?" Ianto dropped his spoon into his bowl with a clatter.

"Didn't I tell you?"

"I think I'd have remembered something like that!"

"Sorry? In my defence the 'baby' word wasn't exactly something you were dealing too well with up until now."

"I know," sighed Ianto. "And it hasn't helped that we've barely talked about it since you moved up here."

"Phone lines, Ianto – Owen was right, too high a risk of our conversations being listened in on." Jack had been more frustrated than Ianto had been at the inadvisability of talking about his pregnancy over the phone, but there was too much at stake to take the chance. "So, that's a given then. No taking the kid to the Hub."

"No – and before you deny it, I know that you've had Owen looking into possible foster parents and nannies in Cardiff."

"Oh. They were just preliminary enquiries – I was going to talk to you about that."

"That's what Owen said." Ianto had been surprised that either of them thought they could conduct that sort of research and for him not to find out.

"You know it occurred to me that perhaps we could persuade Gwen and Rhys –"

"No way!" Ianto shook his head vehemently.

"What? Why not?" Jack was shocked. He had genuinely thought that it could provide an ideal solution. From what he'd seen of Rhys Williams he knew he'd be a good father and Gwen had so much heart, how could Ianto possibly object?

"Many reasons – one, she might notice after a while that the kid looked like both of us, she's not stupid. Two, you'd have to sack her or give her a desk job, because Torchwood is not a safe place for a mother to work and three …" Ianto paused and swallowed hard, before looking up at Jack. "I'd hate to have to stand by and watch someone else bring up our child under my nose and …and not …"

Jack got up from his seat and crouched beside Ianto, pressing a finger to his lips, not wanting to see him get any more flustered or agitated trying to express feelings he was only just coming to terms with.

"Got it – not going to happen. And for what it's worth, I really was going to discuss this with you once Owen had come up with a list of suitable candidates."

"Right. Well, I've been thinking. Had plenty of time for that in hospital… and well… it struck me that for all the reasons that we're keeping your pregnancy secret, we'll need to make sure nobody ever finds out that you've given birth to a child." Ianto took a deep breath and cupped Jack's face in his hands. Making sure he had Jack's undivided attention he broached a subject he knew would upset him. "Jack – I know about Melissa."

"Melissa?" Jack went pale.

"I know that she is a relative of yours and I know what it has cost you to keep her safe. When you were away with your Doctor, someone from the government managed to hack into our systems. Tosh stopped them before they got too deep – but they'd been searching the databases of retired Torchwood operatives and their families. The file for Melissa Moretti was one of those attacked, so I had to go in and find out how much had been accessed –it's OK, she's still safe for now, although I took the liberty of making sure payments into her bank account couldn't be traced to your offshore account quite so easily in future."

"Ianto – what can I say?" Jack looked shell-shocked. It struck him that Ianto hadn't mentioned that she was his daughter and, despite everything, he still couldn't bring himself to admit that, not yet. "Do you know what relation she is to me?"

"No – all I know is that you and her mother were very close. I suppose that's what triggered the level of interest from Saxon's men, probably trying to find some means of leverage against you. I didn't mean to intrude and I never mentioned anything to any of the others."

"I… that bastard…" Jack muttered to himself, realising the danger his daughter had been in. Ianto had a point though, there were those who would exploit any relationship he had in order to gain his co-operation. They'd done it in the past to get him to do things he'd never have done otherwise.

"She's safe, Jack. But this child you're carrying… our son, he might not be so easy to protect."

"I'm gonna have to give him up aren't I?" Jack spoke softly. It had been something he'd known all along yet tried to deny. The life he led was fraught with dangers and he had no right dragging an innocent child into that world.

"I'm sorry – but I can't think of any other way of keeping him out of danger. You've made a lot of enemies, Jack, if any one of those ever-"

"I know… I know." Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto and hugged him tight. He couldn't help but feel that life wasn't fair to either of them, constantly separating them from those they'd loved.

"Anyway, I've had an idea."

"Let's hear it."

"Let's go sit on the sofa, you're not comfortable there." Ianto pulled Jack up off the floor and got him settled on the floral sofa before continuing.

"It's nice up here, plenty of fresh air."

"And?" Jack was confused and wondered if Ianto was going to start talking about llamas again.

"Megan and her husband have been looking after this place for years. We know them and can trust them."

"Yes?"

"Did you know that they use that old barn along the valley to house groups of disaffected city kids every summer? They have them help dry stone walling, dipping sheep and rolling fleeces. Apparently it really turns them around - "

"Where's this going Ianto?"

"They never had their own kids – Megan wasn't able to." Ianto bit his lip and decided he had nothing to lose. "That's a shame really, she'd have made a wonderful mother."

Pressing his lips together and waiting for Jack's objections, Ianto was startled as Jack wrapped an arm about his shoulders and pulled him close.

"Ianto Jones, are you suggesting that our son grows up in the Welsh mountains?"

"There are worse places." Ianto shrugged, thinking of his own upbringing on a council housing estate.

"So, this morning – what were you up to?"

"Nothing much, just drinking tea and talking in the kitchen. They've got a log fire burning and the farm dogs were curled up on the hearth... it was so peaceful there I just lost track of time. They're lovely people, Jack, caring and kind. I just thought that maybe…" Ianto hesitated, not wanting to get carried away.

"- maybe we could give our son the chance to grow up somewhere sheltered and safe, brought up by honest farming folk?"

"Would that bother you? Have I assumed too much?" Ianto was worried that he'd overstepped the mark, suggesting to Jack that his son should not live in Cardiff with him.

"No – not at all." Jack crushed Ianto to his chest tightly, his voice breaking slightly. Trust Ianto to find the solution right here that neither he nor Owen had even considered. Jack suspected that in their time apart, Ianto had been doing a lot of thinking about the child he was carrying, even though they'd not been able to talk freely until Owen had brought him to the cottage. He couldn't help but think that the close call on the cliff top had been a blessing in disguise. It had brought them so much closer, in more ways than one.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Throwing another log onto the fire Jack looked into the kitchen to see Ianto stirring the pot of stew that they'd worked on together that afternoon. Ianto hadn't been able to peel, chop or dice any vegetables on account of his fractured left arm, but he'd instructed Jack on what to do with everything from potatoes to parsnips, and leeks to carrots. The beef was already in cubes, so that hadn't needed any further preparation. Ianto had poured in a bottle of Guinness to fortify the dark gravy, explaining that the added iron and B vitamins would be good for Jack in his condition.

Jack sighed wistfully, wishing that this domestic idyll could be something more than a brief respite from their hazardous existence at Torchwood.

"You OK?" asked Ianto, hearing the exhalation of breath.

"Yeah, more than OK. I guess that's the problem."

"Now I'm confused – what's going on in that head of yours?"

Ianto gestured for Jack to join him on the large sofa. He could tell there was something on Jack's mind and didn't want to miss the opportunity to discover what it was.

"Ever had one of those dreams you never want to wake up from?" Jack asked, as he wrapped an arm around Ianto's shoulders and pulled him close to his side.

"More often it's a nightmare I can't get out of, but I know what you're referring to. Go on-"

"I just wish I could keep you and the kid here, in this cottage, out of danger-"

"For how long? If your son takes after you, he's going to have itchy feet by the time he's eighteen, if not before."

"I'd let him leave home when he was eighteen as long as he visited at least once a month."

"Good luck with that plan. What about me? How long would you keep me around before I got too old for you?"

"You'd never be too old for me, Ianto Jones."

"Bullshit. I know you, Jack. I've watched you and I know exactly what catches your eye, and it's not grey haired and wrinkled."

Jack shook his head as he wondered how to explain to Ianto that he wanted to see him grow old, that nothing would give him greater pleasure than to witness that grey hair, to know that he'd survived Torchwood. It was an unspoken rule that they didn't discuss the fact that the average life expectancy of any operative was thirty, especially as Gwen, Owen and Tosh were all just over thirty – it seemed as if it was tempting fate.

"It would be if it was you."

"I'm assuming that would be the hormones speaking for you." Ianto smiled fondly as he rested his hand gently on Jack's rounded tummy.

"Maybe, but they're not afraid of telling the truth."

Sitting there, curled up close, listening to the crackling of the logs on the fire, the two men savoured the moment. Both of them knew that they couldn't turn their backs on Torchwood, it wouldn't let them, but whilst they had leave of absence they were going to make the most of it.

* * *

"Tosh, are you sure Ianto's alright at home by himself? I really think he could do with a friendly face, he's been looking miserable as sin ever since Jack's been away."

Gwen handed Tosh her latte from Starbucks and took a sip from her own chocolaty mocha as she waited for an answer. She'd not seen Ianto since he'd been discharged from hospital and was anxious to find out how he was doing. After Jack had left on his sabbatical, Ianto had more or less moved into the Hub, sleeping in Jack's quarters and moping around the place, barely smiling at all. Gwen couldn't imagine how nearly falling to his death was going to make him any less despondent.

"Seriously, Gwen, he's fine. Owen checked in on him, said he'd got a lot of sleeping to catch up on and that what he really needed is a break from work."

Tosh could make an educated guess where Ianto was, despite Owen not having let anything slip. In fact it did occur to her that he would be spending a fair bit of time in bed, although not necessarily sleeping. She didn't know where Jack was or what he was up to, but she had a good idea that Owen had taken Ianto to be with him as he recovered.

"I suppose that would explain why he never answers the bloody phone then. Honestly, Tosh, that makes the two of them out of contact. Jack should have returned when Ianto got hurt and he definitely should be here now to help out with the workload. I've a good mind to tell him that when he next checks in."

"Gwen – you know that if that there was any way Jack could have been here for Ianto, he would have been back straight away. Whatever it is he's involved in, it must be very important."

"I'd believe that if he'd tell us what he's up to. You don't know anything I don't, do you Tosh?"

Tosh shook her head. She'd tried to find out – but all she'd managed to discover was Jack's location, from tracing a call he'd made from his mobile to hers when Ianto had been laid up in hospital. It had been one time when Owen and Gwen were out in the field and it was her turn to monitor the situation from the Hub. She was surprised to find that Jack was in Snowdonia. But that was all she had found out.

"Tosh?" Gwen repeated insistently.

"I've not been told a thing, Gwen. Why don't you ask him again, next time he calls?"

"There's no point. But he's hiding something – that's for sure."

"What's that, Gwen?" Owen called out, making Gwen jump. He'd been listening in for a few minutes but had wanted to find out if her speculations were any were near close to the truth. "All those years training to be a copper and you deduce the fact that Harkness is hiding something from us? Step aside Sherlock Holmes-"

"Piss off, Owen. You know where he is, don't you?" Gwen pointed at Owen angrily. She was convinced he knew more than he was letting on and it was driving her mad. The fact that Jack had put him in command in his absence further infuriated her. She was going to have words with him about that when he got back.

"Sworn to secrecy, love, my lips are sealed." Owen grinned, only too aware of how much it irritated Gwen to be kept in the dark. But he agreed with Ianto's decision not to share the information regarding Jack's pregnancy. "I'd tell you, but I'd have to kill you."

"How's Ianto then? You've seen him, I take it? Has Jack been in touch with him at all?"

"Ianto's better than he has been in a while and I can assure you that Jack has definitely got in touch with him. Now, please tell me you got me a coffee, thanks to that sneaky bastard I can't stand instant any more. I swear it's his master plan to enslave us all."

* * *

"Owen says they're missing you." Jack reported smugly, as he switched off his phone.

"That'll be caffeine deprivation."

"Not just the coffee. Although I'm disappointed you won't make me any."

"You're pregnant and I'm on painkillers, there's no point."

Ianto yawned sleepily, the warmth from the fire lulling him into a state of drowsiness.

"It might keep you awake I guess." Jack took hold of Ianto's hand in his. "Time for bed I think, before you fall asleep where you're sitting."

"It's nice here. I don't think I can move." Ianto winked cheekily at Jack as he snuggled further back into the nest of cushions.

"I could persuade you to come to bed."

Jack grinned as he sat astride Ianto's legs and slowly began to unbutton his shirt, exposing his chest an inch at a time.

"Really?" Ianto's breath caught in his throat as Jack proceeded to unbuckle his belt and tug it free from the belt loops of his jeans.

"Oh yeah. You promised me I'd get to play 'nurse' and I think you've got a swelling here that needs attention. I reckon I can kiss it better."

"Healing lips, huh?"

Jack took the invitation on offer and captured Ianto's lips in a soft kiss. As he leant forward to deepen the kiss, he felt Ianto reach around him under his shirt, one arm cumbersome with bandages, and the other warm against his skin.

"I think you're waking up now," Jack smiled against Ianto's mouth, feeling his lover's arousal pressing firmly against his swollen abdomen.

"I blame your bloody hormones and pheromones," gasped Ianto as he felt his jeans being pushed over his hips.

"Bed?" asked Jack as he reluctantly pushed himself back to his feet and held out a hand to Ianto.

"Oh yes."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Over the course of that week the two men got into a routine of sorts: late mornings lounging in bed, leisurely cooked breakfasts and brisk walks along the river, followed up with steaming mugs of tea and home baked cake consumed in front of a roaring log fire. After raving about the slice of bara brith he'd been given when he'd first gone up to the farmhouse, Megan had baked one just for Ianto and had dropped it off at the cottage with the milk the following morning. Jack kept asking him what the fruit cake was called in Welsh, not because he forgot, but because he loved hearing Ianto saying the name.

Early every evening, Jack checked in with Owen via a secure line and discussed Torchwood business before responding to the more pressing of emails awaiting his attention. Although he'd got used to working remotely and in isolation, he had missed having company; it made a huge difference dealing with demands from UNIT and government bureaucrats whilst Ianto was pottering about in the background, it was as if his presence alone was enough to keep a lid on Jack's temper.

Once the lap top was turned off for the night, they shared a supper of thick soup or a casserole eaten from deep earthenware bowls, with thick chunks of home baked bread, it was not only nourishing, but easier for Ianto to eat with just one hand. After the dishes were washed and left to dry, they would just curl up together on the sofa and watch the embers glowing in the fireplace, not going to bed until the fire had died down to the point that the room grew cooler.

It was a respite, a time for Ianto to heal from his injuries and for their relationship to re-establish itself following the fall out of Jack's unexpected announcement. Ianto teased Jack about 'glowing', but it was undeniably true, the acceptance of his condition by his lover was all Jack needed to acknowledge how genuinely thrilled he was to be pregnant with Ianto's child.

They probably talked more in those few days than they had in the whole time they'd known each other up until then. The crisp mountain air, babbling stream and soporific wood fires all seemed to encourage honest discussions and the lack of interruptions allowed them to listen to each other properly. Fears and hopes were expressed by each man, invoking both tears and laughter. Without Torchwood coming between them, they were able to communicate openly for what really did feel like the first time.

* * *

However, as is the case with all good things, the week passed by too quickly and Ianto was packing his bags ready to depart with Owen the following morning.

As he tucked unworn socks into the bag, he felt Jack press up against him from behind.

"I wish you didn't have to go back." Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto's waist, wanting to hold onto him and not let go.

"I have to, you know I do. It's not fair on the others to try to run everything short handed."

Ianto turned around in Jack's embrace and hugged him close, albeit gingerly with his injured arm.

"You're still recuperating – you can't go out in the field!" protested Jack.

"I can take my turn monitoring the rift and getting the paperwork dealt with-"

"You could do that from here-"

"Not the same and you know it." Ianto sighed as he took in Jack's forlorn expression. "Hey, I wish I could stay here as well. And Owen said he'd be able to bring me back for visits so it won't be so bad-"

"I've got another three months to go. I'm not sure I can cope with just seeing you at weekends."

"Stop pouting – you're letting those hormones get the better of you, again."

"Can't help it – why don't you pack in the morning, you're wasting time that we could be spending in bed."

Jack pressed a series of kisses along Ianto's jaw, finishing with an almost chaste kiss on the lips.

"I thought you were insatiable before, but-"

"Hormones, can't help them – come on, indulge me."

"When don't I?" mumbled Ianto, as he let Jack take his hand and lead him back to the bed.

* * *

Despite Ianto's insistence on setting an early alarm on his phone, they were still in bed when Owen arrived the following day. He actually threw gravel at the bedroom window and yelled at them to get up.

"Oi – get your arse out of bed, tea boy and make me some coffee. Least you can do for me considering the shit I'm been having to take off Gwen all week."

Jack sighed and grabbed hold of Ianto, not wanting to let him out from under the covers, angry at Torchwood for taking over his life and that of everyone he knew and loved. It was then that an idea came to him. Whether it was hormonally induced or not, was besides the point, all he had to do was convince Ianto.

* * *

Owen needed to examine Jack so he took him down into the basement where he could use the ultrasound and other scanners. Although Ianto was no longer averse to being present, Owen wanted him out of the way; he needed to talk to Jack in private.

In the course of the week he'd spoken to both men at one time or another, and had picked up the hints from Ianto's talk of the farm being 'a great place to bring up a kid'. Meanwhile Jack had seemed almost giddy with delight at being able to live with Ianto and how he could imagine what it would be like to have a family with the young Welshman.

Owen wanted to know exactly what it was the two men had in mind, and whether they were actually thinking the same thing and the fact that Jack had asked to speak with him alone meant that something was amiss.

* * *

Despite wanting to make sure Jack was alright, Ianto was happy enough to make the most of one more chance to take a stroll down to the riverside. Even though he was born and bred in the valleys of South Wales, he felt at home in the uncompromising environment of the craggier hillsides of Snowdonia. It was far away enough from the rift that there were no aliens likely to be encountered, other than those relocated deliberately by Torchwood, and his feelings for the Brecon Beacons were to be forever tainted by his encounter with cannibalistic villagers.

He knew in his heart that this would be the best place for his child to grow up, and even if he never got to witness that process, he could imagine the boy in this landscape. Ianto smiled sadly as he thought of the kid learning how to help with the sheep and the llamas, collecting firewood and playing in the woods on the lower slopes. He swore to himself that his son would have a good childhood, a safe one where he was loved and cherished in a way he never really felt he had been until he met Jack.

* * *

"What's the problem, then?" Owen asked, as he switched off the ultra sound scanner, having recorded all the data he needed.

"Who said there was a problem?" asked Jack evasively.

"You asked to talk in private – normally you'd say or do anything in front of Ianto without batting an eyelid. Come on, spill – what's going on?"

"He wants Megan to adopt our son."

"What? Megan up at the farm?" Owen was surprised, but then understood what Ianto had been hinting at. Of course, that made sense, always the sensible one, Ianto. From his own dealings with Megan, he could see the merits of the idea; the woman was kind, nurturing and she knew about Torchwood.

"Yeah."

"That's a bloody great idea. She'd make a brilliant mum-"

"I know," interrupted Jack. "But, it's like he's writing himself off – writing us off, deciding that there's no way we could possibly bring the kid up ourselves."

"He's being pragmatic – you know what he's like. Not a bad thing."

"Yeah – he said Torchwood's not a safe place to bring up a child. He also thinks someone would come after the kid if they knew he was mine-"

"Also a valid point. You're not exactly flavour of the month with everyone we've ever dealt with."

"But why should he give up the chance of fatherhood because I've made enemies?"

"He's Torchwood – he knows it's not safe." Owen set down the scanner and sighed. "Look, Jack, he'd probably be pissed off with me if he knew I'd told you this, but on the way up here last weekend, he said he didn't think he could ever risk getting to know the kid. Said it wouldn't be fair on it, because there wasn't much chance of him being around for much more than another few years –"

"Oh, Ianto." Jack rubbed his face with his hands, despairing of the father of his child.

"Yeah – exactly. Come on, we all know the risks – Ianto more than most, having survived Canary Wharf."

"He could leave Torchwood."

"What?"

"If he wasn't working for Torchwood he'd be safe-"

"And just when were you going to discuss this with me?"

"Ianto!"

Both men looked around guiltily, not having heard Ianto come down the stairs. Neither knew how much he'd overheard before making his presence known.

"So, tell me, this plan of yours – you'd have me bringing up your child-"

"Our child!" Jack growled.

"So, you'd leave Torchwood as well?" Ianto asked, his eyebrows raised.

"I can't – you know I can't."

"Right then, so you'd kick me out of Torchwood and set me up somewhere to bring up the kid alone?"

"I-"

"No, Jack. You've no right to sack me because you got pregnant!"

"I'm not sacking you!"

"You're asking me to give up my job-"

"You could get a job when he goes to school. Hey, maybe you could run a little coffee shop-"

"What fantasy world are you living in Jack?"

"I..I.." Jack faltered as he wondered how to get out of the mess he'd got into.

"That does it! Jack, lie down and shut up – your blood pressure is about to go through the roof." Owen lowered the top of the examination table that he had Jack sitting on and gently pushed him down. "And as for you, Ianto, I asked you to keep out of the way!"

"So you two could discuss me behind my back?"

"So I could find out exactly what he had in mind before talking to you."

"But, we'd discussed this – Jack, I thought we'd agreed."

"Ianto, mate – two things, this is Jack you're talking about, he always changes his mind, and secondly he's pregnant, so even more irrational than normal. You shouldn't expect consistency."

"I am not irrational!" protested Jack, trying to get up from the makeshift bed, only to find two sets of hands pushing him back.

"You just suggested I become a single father, running a coffee shop – that's delusional, never mind irrational."

"I never once said anything about you doing that alone," sighed Jack. "I'd be around as well."

Ianto slumped as he sat down on the chair that Owen had abandoned.

"So he'd have two dads, is that what you're suggesting?" Owen asked as he kept an eye on the blood pressure monitor. "That a problem for you, Ianto?"

"No – of course not, it's just-"

"What is it, Ianto? Why don't you want this?" Jack pleaded.

"Oh Jack, I wish I could buy into your dream, but let's face the truth, our son's not going to grow up with two fathers. One's likely to die before he reaches the age of thirty and the other will always look as if he's only just reached forty … hardly normal and not exactly conducive to a healthy childhood and adolescence."

"Is that why you want him to stay here?"

"Yeah, partly."

"Owen, give us a moment to ourselves, please." Jack spoke to Owen, but kept his eyes firmly fixed on Ianto.

Owen shook his head solemnly and left the basement. He'd had a suspicion that this argument was brewing under the surface. Maybe he should have left Ianto in Cardiff and not let them get to this point. But it had to happen sooner or later and at least there were still another three months left to sort it out. He just hoped, for the sake of all three of them, that whatever decision was made, it wouldn't break them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"So, let's see if I've got this right. You're convinced you're going to die before you're thirty and you're refusing any chance of avoiding your destiny?"

"It's not like that," replied Ianto, tetchily.

"Sounds like it from here. To me it sounds like you're determined to be a martyr to Torchwood, as if you don't think you deserve a chance to be happy."

"I don't – not really. I got a second chance when I survived the battle and then I failed – I let down Lisa, I betrayed you, I caused the deaths of two civilians and nearly brought about Armageddon – I screwed up, Jack. I've no idea why I'm still alive, but-"

"But if you weren't, I wouldn't be expecting our child!"

"Oh, Jack – that's… that's…"

"That's the truth, dammit!" Jack got up from the examination bed and pulled Ianto to his feet. He gripped hold of Ianto's shoulders so he couldn't escape. "You're going to be a father, Ianto – that can't be changed. What can be altered is your life expectancy – if you're not working at Torchwood."

"Tell me one thing, if I hadn't got you pregnant, would you have suggested I set up home and run a coffee shop?"

Jack sighed and closed his eyes.

"Thought not." Ianto spoke softly, but the accusation was there.

"Only because I figured you might leave for the sake of our son if not for yourself."

"Honestly, Jack – what were you imagining?" Ianto couldn't keep the exasperation out of his voice. "Me, waiting at home with the kid for you to return from work, you calling out 'Honey, I'm home', then I ask you how work was, you say you only had your throat ripped out once by a weevil, I give you a hug and you ask what's for dinner?"

"No!" Jack protested, before looking sheepish. He could imagine that scene and part of him wanted it badly. "Well, maybe … would that be so wrong?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Ianto, flustered. He'd meant to point out to Jack how ridiculous the notion was, not paint a tempting scene. "I mean … what about … what about the laundry?"

"The what?!" Jack was confused, but held onto Ianto, worried by the fact he was now beginning to tremble.

"How would I explain blood-soaked clothes to the kid, huh? 'Don't worry, daddy is accident prone' or maybe 'it's alright, he works in an abattoir'?"

"Don't be silly - I'd change at the Hub before coming home."

"You've got this all worked out, haven't you?" Ianto leaned his forehead against Jack's frustrated with his partner.

"No – it's just that where you're seeing problems, I'm seeing solutions." Jack slid his hands down from Ianto's shoulders and rested them on his hips. He took a deep breath and asked the question that worried him most. "Don't you want to live?"

"Yes. Of course I do. But that doesn't mean I have to leave Torchwood."

"It's dangerous-"

"I know – but the one thing that gave me a reason to live after I lost Lisa was you … and Torchwood. To me, you're linked." Ianto paused as he considered whether or not this was the time to open up to Jack. He knew there would be no better time. "It's my way of making up for all the screw-ups in the past, all the bad decisions, poor choices… betrayals. I turned my back on my family, then I invested everything into Lisa, even after she was beyond saving. Giving my life to Torchwood, trying to make something out of the mess I created … then there's you, I want to be there supporting you, being there for you, standing by your side when the world turns to shit and … and when you get killed, I want to be there, I want to be the one to help you find your way back. It's selfish, I know, but-"

"No, no it's not selfish, it's …" Jack couldn't get any more words past his lips, as he fought to keep his emotions in check. A pointless exercise as the tears tracking down his cheeks gave them away. He wrapped his arms around Ianto and pulled him close, cradling his head that came to rest on his shoulder.

"It would be like you're rejecting me, sending me away. You're my life, Jack, whether you like it or not."

They stood still, holding on to one another as Ianto's confession sunk in and they both absorbed the revelations. Jack then steered Ianto towards the exam bed and made him sit down. Sitting next to him Jack took Ianto's hand and smiled at the younger man, who'd pledged his life to him.

"For what it's worth I think you'd make a great dad."

"I doubt that." Ianto shook his head slightly. "I haven't got much in the way of a good role model in my past."

"Hey – that doesn't mean a thing. You're a natural when it comes to caring for others."

"Feeding and cleaning up after assorted alien creatures, not to mention you, Gwen and Owen doesn't count-"

"You left out Tosh."

"She doesn't **need** looking after, the rest of you do. Which reminds me, I really should be getting back there, goodness knows what state the place is in now."

"You're changing the subject."

"Yeah – well, unless you force me to resign, I'm not leaving Torchwood."

"I'm not intending to force you into doing anything. It's your choice, Ianto, but don't blame me for wanting you to live a long life and to be there for our son. I can survive anything, you can't."

"You're asking me to step back out of the line of fire and away from your side. I know you come back, but I want to be there for you, Jack, not at the kitchen sink washing baby clothes."

"So you're not even going to think it?"

"I … I can't get my head around it right now, Jack. I'm sorry."

"Please – all I'm asking it that you just consider my idea. Take your time. I'll think about your suggestion and we'll talk about it next time you visit. Please?"

"OK. I'll think about it." Ianto conceded wearily. He realised, belatedly, that upsetting Jack in his condition wasn't playing fair and could potentially harm the child whose future they were arguing about.

* * *

The journey back to Cardiff was awkward, Ianto refusing to talk to Owen as he gazed out of the window. Owen resorted to putting the radio on to provide background noise as they drove down the A470 heading south. It was a three and a half hour journey at the best of times, and it seemed much longer with a passenger who appeared to become more and more withdrawn the further south they travelled.

Owen stopped in Builth Wells, parking up on the High Street, in need of a break and something to eat. He managed to get a reaction from Ianto when he pointed out two pubs and asked which they should try out for food.

"The Lamb or the White Hart?"

An eye roll and glare made it perfectly clear which pub Ianto would rather step inside.

Ianto barely ate, but Owen happily finished off his plate of pie and chips as well as his own.

"You'll fall asleep at the wheel," grumbled Ianto as he watched Owen wash down the food with a half pint of the local ale.

"Then I'd better have a coffee as well, hadn't I?" smirked Owen. "You want one?"

"I thought I wasn't allowed."

"You can now. Anyway, chances are you'll only take one sip and then declare it unfit for purpose."

"I'm not that much of a coffee snob-"

"Yes, you bloody well are!" exclaimed Owen. "Look – I'll go up, order a couple of coffees, pay the bill and then go and have a piss. Then we're talking."

Before Ianto had the opportunity to protest, Owen was out of his seat and heading for the bar.

By the time Owen returned, Ianto was tentatively tasting the coffee he'd been served.

"Well?" asked Owen.

"Either it's not bad, or I've been deprived so long I'd enjoy a cup of instant."

"Not what I meant, but it's a start. What's going on then between you and Jack?"

"This isn't the place to have that discussion, Owen."

Owen responded by getting up once more, this time to put a few coins into the juke box and select random numbers. He didn't care what it played as long as it denied Ianto yet another excuse not to talk. He scowled as soon as Abba's 'Knowing me, knowing you' began to resonate throughout the bar. Next time they'd stop in another town, he decided.

However, on the plus side, his inadvertent choice of song had made Ianto laugh out loud.

"It was random – I swear I didn't pick it deliberately."

"Oh, Owen – I never knew you felt this way." Ianto giggled as he watched his colleague take a seat on the opposite side of the booth from him.

"So, then, you and Jack," stated Owen. "What's the problem?"

"You heard - he wants me to leave Torchwood to bring up the kid."

"And you'd rather give your son away and stay at work-"

"That makes me sound completely heartless. It's not like that." Ianto hissed, not wanting the men at the bar to overhear him; however loud the juke box was, it seemed that Owen's selection was drawing attention to them rather than masking their conversation.

"You'd make the perfect househusband – all that dusting and cleaning. I'd have thought that would have suited you down to the ground."

"Don't go there, I'm warning you." Ianto glared at Owen. "I may not be able to exact revenge yet, but as soon as I can-"

"Don't go threatening the source of your pain relief, tea boy!"

"I know the code to the meds cabinet – I can get my own if I need to."

"That explains a lot." Owen took a long drink of his coffee and then looked over the brim of the cup to address Ianto. "Look, I know he's an irritating bastard and when he gets an idea in his head he refuses to see reason, but this time, he's actually got his heart in the right place. He's not thinking with his dick or his ego for a change."

"I know. But even if I went along with his plan, it wouldn't take long before someone figured out the kid was his. Whether they knew … well, it's bound to look like him and it sounds like he thinks he can live with me and the baby and still work." Ianto paused for a moment, making sure no one was listening in before continuing. "It's too dangerous – if I'm working at Torchwood or not, it won't matter. The only option would be retcon and a new start, away from Cardiff. For the child to be safe from any potential threat, Jack wouldn't be able to see him or me ever again."

"Fuck." Owen nodded his head as he acknowledged Ianto's logic.

Ianto took another mouthful of the coffee that tasted even more bitter as he reached the dregs at the bottom of the cup.

"At least my idea may actually allow us to see the kid occasionally. He'd be safe and I can be there for Jack."

"I don't suppose you told him any of that did you?"

"I tried, but I –"

"Didn't want to completely burst his bubble?"

"Sort of… you understand now, don't you?" Ianto pleaded with Owen, wanting him to appreciate his point of view.

"Yeah. Shitty situation all round if you ask me, but, yeah, I know where you're coming from now."

"I'm not saying he wouldn't get by without me-"

"Don't underestimate what you mean to him, Ianto. You don't know how much it took for him not to come tearing back to Cardiff when you were in hospital. I don't think he could take losing both of you. He's just desperate to keep you and the kid."

"I know. I thought he was alright with my plan, but I guess I didn't read him right." Ianto shrugged, wondering how they'd spent all that time together at the cottage without really knowing what was on each other's minds.

"Don't beat yourself up over that, he keeps his real feelings more hidden than you do and that's saying something."

"What's with all the sympathy, Owen?" teased Ianto. "If you keep this up when we get back to Cardiff the girls will smell a rat."

"Don't worry, as soon as get back to the Hub I'll be a right bastard again, if that's what you want."

"Yes, please and I think we should go now, you selected the same Abba song twice."

"Oh shit, come on, let's hit the road."

As Owen and Ianto left the pub, the landlady turned to the group of locals sat at the bar, nursing their pints. They'd been debating the relationship of the two men, pointing out the shared meal and the choice of Abba's song about breaking up.

"No – they're not a couple," said the landlady, knowingly. "Body language is all wrong."


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N - **I know I've lost readers who haven't liked the way this is going, but this is a lighter chapter - warmer in character. Although all seems to be hopeless, it won't necessarily be as sad as some may believe ... remember, this **is** a rewrite._

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Jack had been leaning on the wooden gate since before the sun had set. It was growing cooler, but he was warmly bundled up in a thick sweater under his great coat, even thought the buttons no longer fastened, it kept his legs warm. After Ianto and Owen had left he'd not wanted to stay cooped up indoors – if he'd been in Cardiff he'd have sought out a roof top and gazed out across the city, to gain perspective on what was troubling him, but that wasn't an option in the middle of the countryside.

So he'd settled for a gentle stroll up the hillside as far as the stile that led into the field adjoining the farmhouse. Turning around he'd been able to look back over the valley and watch the sky change colour. Unlike the cityscape with its twinkling lights, the valley became dark, the only light being the reflected sparks in the stream as it captured the fiery hues of the sky.

He was lost in the quietude, the only sounds being the natural voices of the creatures settling down for the night. He could see why Ianto thought this was such a wonderful place, it had certainly brought more colour to his cheeks than Jack had ever witnessed in Cardiff.

Out of the murky light suddenly shot a bundle of light and dark fur, running close to the ground, and fast. Startled he spun around and saw the silhouette of a woman making her way down the field in his direction. He was torn, he knew he was meant to be keeping a low profile, but he'd missed company and he figured that in the failing light his extended abdomen wouldn't be obvious.

"Madog! Come here!"

The furry shape darted back past Jack, crashing into the backs of his legs and almost bringing him to his knees, luckily he was able to grab onto the gate.

"I am so sorry – come here, you daft dog!"

The woman had a larger dog with her that seemed to be far better behaved – it sat down patiently as the younger dog sank to its haunches on the damp grass and panted heavily.

"No harm done. Were you calling him Mad Dog?"

"No – Madog, it's Welsh for 'good little one' – although he's way too mischievous for his name."

"Just a puppy then?"

"Three months old. This is his father – Maldwyn." The woman crouched down and attached a lead to the collar of the younger dog. "I'm sorry about this, Captain Harkness. I know the arrangement was to leave you undisturbed and if it wasn't for that young scamp running after a rabbit-"

"No problem, Megan. I didn't mean to be out for this long. I should be headed back to the cottage."

"Did you bring the torch out with you?"

Jack shook his head – it hadn't occurred to him that he'd be out as long as he had been. But looking back towards the dark outline of the cottage, he could no longer see the worn pathway through the field.

"I guess I forgot there aren't any street lights out here. I don't suppose you have a spare torch with you?"

"Not a spare torch, but I can walk back down the hill with you, make sure you get back in one piece." Megan offered, with a chuckle.

"Thanks – that would be great."

"Here, if you take the lead for this one and I'll shine the torch on the path." Megan handed over Madog's lead to Jack and then linked her arm in his.

Jack was unaccustomed to accepting help from relative strangers, but there was something about Megan that made him trust her. He was beginning to realise that he should place more faith in Ianto's judgement.

"I didn't realise I'd become such a city boy."

"And there was me thinking you'd always lived in Cardiff."

"No, once upon a time, I lived near the sea." Jack spoke wistfully, seeing the soft dunes of the BoeshanePeninsula in his minds' eye.

"Cardiff is near the sea," teased Megan lightly, nudging him gently in the ribs.

"No – I meant near the ocean, deserted beaches stretching out beyond the high dunes."

"Oh, somewhere in America, then?"

"No." Jack bit his tongue, annoyed at himself for snapping at the woman whose inference was understandable, considering his accent. "Sorry – I've done a lot of travelling in my life."

"I figured as much. Me, I've hardly ever been out of Gwynedd, apart from a few shopping trips into Conwy."

"There's something to be said from putting down roots." Jack sighed, feeling the tug of something deep inside him. The tug of the dog on the lead in his right hand and the warmth of the kindly woman's arm to his left made him long for a proper home.

"Talking of roots – mind your step, there are some near the surface here." Megan shone the torch on the ground near the base of a twisted hawthorn tree, pointing out the gnarled roots that broke through the stony ground. "The soil's too thin really for trees, but this one tries its best."

"You love this place don't you?"

"Oh yes – always have. It's an ancient landscape this, it can be harsh and unforgiving if you don't understand its ways, but if you take it your heart, it looks after you."

Jack smiled to himself. Ianto had tried to tell him that Megan was special, that there was more to her than the competent housekeeper and manager of their quarantine station.

"Almost there." Megan swung the beam of the torch upwards so it picked out the gate in the wall at the far end of the field. The older dog had already reached it and was sitting patiently, waiting for them to catch up.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I take it by the fact that the lights are out and there's no smoke coming from the chimney that Ianto has gone back to Cardiff?"

"Yeah." Jack had also forgotten to bank up the fire, something Ianto had made sure they did whenever they'd gone out for walks, to make sure the cottage stayed warm. "He left this afternoon."

"He said he was convalescing – is he better now?"

"Better than he was, but I wish he could have stayed for longer."

"Ah," Megan said, as she heard loud and clear what the captain was leaving unsaid. She thought that the young man had seemed very concerned about his boss in a way that went beyond loyalty, and she'd seen them, arm in arm, walking by the stream. She realised why the captain seemed so lonely – he was missing his lover.

"It did him good, staying here. This place always works its magic."

Megan had taken over the maintenance of the cottage from her parents when she'd got married, almost fifteen years ago. There was a lot that was never spoken of, yet understood implicitly. It used to be Alex who would come to make arrangements and then there was 'The Captain'. More recently, the doctor with the London accent had visited to upgrade the medical facilities. It was all done for the sake of the strangers that would come to stay, people they'd hardly ever lay eye on, who'd arrive in the dead of night and leave under the cover of darkness. The first one she'd had to cater for only ate seafood and it all had to be delivered, alive, in buckets of seawater.

As Megan pondered memories of guests who'd stayed at the cottage in the past, Jack was considering the future. Out of the corner of his eye he caught the bright trail of a meteorite as it burnt up on entering the Earth's atmosphere and he made a wish.

"Would you like me to come in and get the fire going for you?" Megan asked as she held open the door and switched on the lights.

"No, that's fine. It's my fault it's gone out." Jack knelt down on one knee to get a closer look at the puppy that was snuffling at his feet. In the light he could see that the young dog was mottled brown, with a white tummy and a white stripe down its nose. Dark brown eyes sparkled mischievously as the puppy rubbed its cold, wet nose into the palm of Jack's open hand. "Hey boy, time to go back with mummy now."

As soon as he said the words, he quickly looked at the sofa as if expecting to see Ianto sitting there with an 'I told you so' smirk on his face.

"Thanks," Megan took the lead. "No Madog, this isn't your house. Right then, Captain, I'll be getting this pair back home now and leave you in peace."

"Please, call me Jack. You know what? I'm glad this young scamp ran into me, otherwise I'd probably still be looking for the way back."

"I'm sure you'd have managed. But I'm glad we had a chance to chat."

"Me too." Jack smiled as he considered how fortuitous their chance encounter had been.

"So, I take it you'll be wanting cooked meals delivering again next week?"

"Yes, please, same as before. I don't suppose you could bring some more of that fruit cake –"

"Bara brith? Did you two get through the last one already?"

"Ianto took what was left – he said it was the best he'd ever tasted." Jack recalled wrapping it in foil and sneaking it into Ianto's bag when he wasn't looking. He hoped it would be a nice surprise. "But if it's too much trouble-"

"None at all. It'll be a pleasure – I love baking, especially when I know it's going to be enjoyed."

"That I can guarantee. And, Megan, thank you again – for everything."

"I know you can't say what you're here for, but all the others, they come to stay when there's a problem, or they're in danger – I hope everything works out alright."

There was concern in the young woman's eyes – it was as if she could sense that he wasn't staying there entirely out of choice. She knew enough about Torchwood to know that those who were sheltered in the cottage were housed there for their own safety.

"So do I, Megan. But I'm starting to feel more optimistic than I have for a long time. I'm even beginning to feel at home here."

"That's good then. Stay long enough and this land will adopt you and yours."

Jack took a good look at the young woman, standing in the threshold of the cottage he'd shared with Ianto. Her curly auburn hair formed a halo about her face, her cheeks were pink from the cold air, and he could make out a smattering of freckles. But it was the smile that impressed him most – open, honest and heartfelt. He'd spoken with her before, but it had been all business. In the time it had taken for them to walk through the fields, they hadn't exchanged many words, but they had finally become friends.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

It was dark by the time Owen reached the outskirts of Cardiff, but at least there were streetlights finally illuminating the road – a relief after having travelled several miles following the tail lights of the cars ahead of them.

As they passed a road sign for Cathays, Owen offered to drop Ianto off at his house, but he shook his head and pointed out that he was ready to take a stint on rift watching duty back at the Hub.

"You're not fully recovered yet, you do know that, don't you?" sighed Owen. "No need to be a bloody martyr."

"I'd figured that out, the cast gives it away," Ianto held out his arm dramatically. "So I'll give weevil wrangling a miss for now. But, I reckon I can cope with sitting in front of a monitor for a few hours. At least I can cover while the rest of you take it turns to grab some sleep."

"Can't argue with that. Luckily the rift's been quiet over the past few days, but I bet Gwen will still be desperate to get home to her fiancé."

"Really? You're not taking the piss?" Ianto frowned as he tried to see what expression was on Owen's face in the light of an oncoming car.

"Well, she's not going to waste her efforts fluttering her lashes at me or Tosh, now is she?"

"You tell me – she's locked lips with you, a sex alien and John-bloody-Hart, who knows what or who she'll do."

"Oi – are you lumping me in with a possessed girl and a psychopath?"

"If the cap fits. Ah well, if it makes her appreciate her own boyfriend more, maybe having Jack way beyond arm's length does have a silver lining."

"Bloody hell, it's a Welsh thing isn't it? Getting all possessive as soon as someone else shows an interest-"

"You've not been chatting up married women again, have you?" teased Ianto.

"Chance would be a fine thing – thanks to you and Jack practising unsafe sex, I've not had time for any sex."

"Hey – I'll have you know, I was a good boy and I'd been to Boots for supplies, it was Jack who said we didn't need to –"

"Stop there!" interrupted Owen. "You lost all sympathy as soon as you chose to believe everything he told you. Have you any idea how many partners he's had?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Ianto said with more than a hint of exasperation.

"Notches on the bedpost?"

"Nope – stories. I've been keeping a record-"

"Not in your diary I hope – he reads that."

"No – not in **that** diary."

"Either way, I'd not have let him near me without protection."

"Yeah, well you knew he could get pregnant."

"That's not what I'm talking about – but we're nearly there. Ready for the third degree?"

"Yep – I've been at home all week, watching Bond movies and eating pizza."

"Until this weekend when you went to visit your auntie up in Abergavenny. That's where you got the mud on your boots and the dog hair on your jeans."

"Exactly."

* * *

"Ianto!" exclaimed Tosh as soon as the two men walked through the gated entry to the centre of the Hub. "How are you? You're looking so much better."

Tosh wasn't one for effusive acts of affection, but that didn't stop her rushing over to Ianto and grasping his hand, squeezing it enthusiastically. Making sure Gwen hadn't surfaced from where she'd been all afternoon, Tosh gave Ianto a sly wink, as if to say she knew exactly where he'd been.

"It must have been the fresh air." Ianto grinned as he wrapped his good arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle hug.

"Oh yes, that must have been what it was- can't think of anything else that give you that pink glow in your cheeks." Tosh smiled conspiratorially.

"How've things been, Tosh? As quiet as predicted?" Owen asked as he stood in front of a bank of monitors to check for himself.

"Well – as far as the Rift and the weevils are concerned… yes…"

"But?" Owen demanded.

"But what?" Tosh shrugged insouciantly.

"I heard a 'but' there, didn't you, Ianto?"

"Yes, definitely a 'but'. Come on, Tosh, you can't fool me. What's been happening?"

Tosh looked from one man to the other, as if working out a way to break bad news. However, she didn't get the opportunity to say anything else because Gwen chose that moment in time to make her appearance.

"So there you are, Ianto. Glad to see you're still alive – you could've answered my messages you know."

Owen raised an eyebrow and turned to see Gwen slowly descending the metal stairs from the direction of Jack's office.

"Hello, Gwen. I would have, but doctor's orders said I wasn't to even think about work."

"It wasn't about work, I just wanted to check that you were alright. You are, aren't you?"

"Much better thanks. Now that I'm back you can take the rest of the evening off, I'll-"

"Whoa there, I'm not going anywhere until I've got some answers."

"What are you on about, Gwen? Ianto was badly injured – I sent him home for a week and he's spent the weekend at his auntie's – what's there to ask?"

Owen was feeling irritated, he knew damn well that he'd covered his tracks and that there was no way Gwen could have figured out where he'd been in reality.

"Not about Ianto," snapped Gwen. "Jack. You two know where he is and so do I now."

"What?" Ianto demanded, confused by Gwen's attitude.

"UNIT called," Gwen stated as if that alone was all the answer Ianto and Owen needed.

"Fuck, I told you that I'd handle them." Owen winced, wondering what damage he'd have to get Ianto to fix.

"Well you weren't here, were you, Owen? Gallivanting off first thing this morning, leaving me in charge-"

"Actually, I left Tosh in charge." Owen turned to Tosh and glared at her. He'd made it perfectly clear that any calls from UNIT or the ministry were to be forwarded to him.

"I'm sorry, Owen, the call came in when I went out fetch lunch," Tosh said apologetically. "Gwen told me when I got back, but she didn't tell me what it was about."

"I was waiting for Owen to return. Seems that they know where Jack is and wanted to know if he was to be spending much longer being decontaminated, or whether they needed to send in a replacement."

"Decontaminated?" It was Owen's turn to frown.

"You know damn well where he is, Owen and I bet you know as well, don't you, Ianto?"

"Enlighten us, Gwen – where the fuck is he?" Owen flung his arms in the air hoping against hope that Gwen was bluffing.

"A quarantine station in the SnowdoniaNational Park," declared Gwen triumphantly.

Neither Owen nor Ianto were able to mask the shock on their faces at Gwen's announcement.

"So, what I want to know is, what the hell has Jack got and is it contagious? Is there any danger I could have caught it from him?"

Whatever reaction Gwen was expecting, it wasn't the one she got. Both men stared at her and then at each other before bursting out with laughter that bordered on the hysterical.

"It's not funny! If he's got some alien plague, we could all be infected!"

"Gwen – trust me, Jack's got nothing you're going to have caught from him." Ianto's expression was steely as he glared at Gwen, the humour of the situation dissipating as it sunk in that Jack's security was in jeopardy. He only hoped that Gwen had not said anything that could have made the situation worse than it already was.

"Owen?" demanded Gwen, hands on hips.

"He's telling the truth, Gwen. What Jack's up to is highly classified. I can neither confirm nor deny that he's staying in the quarantine station in North Wales. Meanwhile, I hope you've recorded the conversation you had with UNIT, or written up a detailed report, as required for all communications with other agencies."

"Um, well, as it happens, I've not … I'm …I'll do that now."

"Not to worry, you used Jack's phone didn't you?" asked Ianto knowingly.

"Well, yes, I was looking for something in his office when the call came through."

Ianto smiled, he knew she'd have taken up residence in Jack's office in his absence, especially if Owen was away as well.

"Then the call would have been automatically recorded."

Gwen blanched.

"You spy on Jack's phone calls?"

"No, I monitor all the calls coming in from government agencies, so that I can sort out any misunderstandings more effectively."

"Wise move, tea boy," muttered Owen in admiration.

"Thank you."

"Right then, Gwen. You're off duty now until tomorrow morning. Off you go – I don't want to see you until nine o'clock. You can fetch in the breakfast butties and coffee on your way in."

"But-"

"Come on, Gwen, you must be desperate to get home to Rhys," Ianto cut off Gwen quickly. "It's fine, I'll monitor the Rift and sort out the problem with UNIT."

"Tosh – you can go home as well. I'll keep Ianto company here. We'll call you in if there's an emergency."

"I don't mind staying a bit longer-"

"I'm sure you don't, Tosh, but you need a break," Ianto insisted. "We can manage just fine."

"You two are trying to get us out of the way, aren't you?" asserted Gwen, suspiciously.

"Yeah, because I can't wait to get my hands on tea boy while the captain's out of the picture," Owen replied sarcastically.

"You wish," mumbled Ianto.

"Damn it – come on, Tosh. But tomorrow morning, you two are going to tell me, I mean us, as much as you can about where Jack is, and when he's coming back. Is that clear?"

"Crystal. Tomorrow, we'll tell you as much as we can, but for now I need to get in touch with my contact at UNIT before they try to move in and take over." Ianto gave Gwen a tight-lipped smile, knowing that it would take every ounce of diplomacy he possessed to halt UNIT in their tracks.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"You know I can't tell you what Captain Harkness is working on, but I can assure you that he is not suffering from any hazardous disease and he is not harbouring any potential alien threat in the mountains. Yes sir, I am aware of the fact that you have the highest level of security clearance, but I am still unable to divulge to you the nature of Captain Harkness's current mission."

Ianto waved at Owen who was hovering outside Jack's office, beckoning him to come in.

"Yes, I was injured and hospitalised, but I'm back now – yes, thank you, I'm feeling much better. Yes, Doctor Harper has approved my return to work."

Ianto stuck his tongue out at Owen whose eyebrows had shot up his forehead in response to the blatant lie.

"No, we don't need any additional assistance here in Cardiff. I'm sure that Miss Cooper didn't intend to give the impression that we're understaffed – yes, she may well have been the only Torchwood employee on site at the time of your call, but we were all able to respond should there have been any situation arising requiring our attention."

Owen watched on in awe, wondering how the hell Ianto managed to remain polite, not when he'd have given them short shrift and told them where to put their offer of help.

"I'll have Captain Harkness call you personally on the secure line, sir. I'm sure he'll be grateful for your offer of personnel should we need back up… Thank you, sir."

Disconnecting the call, Ianto let out a sigh of relief.

"Here, take these," Owen set down a glass of water and two painkillers on Jack's desk. "I take it you convinced him that we've not been abandoned by our leader and fallen into anarchy?"

Ianto washed down the pills with the water and leaned back in his chair.

"I hope so, because that's not far from the truth is it?"

"You mean Gwen?"

"I meant Jack, but Gwen as well. She barely took orders from Jack, never mind anyone else – she's not going to let it go, not now she thinks she knows where he is."

"She doesn't know exactly where he is – Snowdonia's a big place."

"I bet she's already got the maps out-" Ianto didn't get any further in his speculation, as a yawn got the better of him. "Bloody woman. I think it's time we got him to talk to Gwen in person – video conference, maybe."

"As long as he stays sitting down and doesn't start pacing up and down. There's no way Gwen will believe he's been eating too many doughnuts."

"I'm going to have to get him to tell her something, but I can't think what-"

"You're knackered. You should get some sleep – then I'm sure you'll be back up to speed with sneaky devious plans."

"You must be tired as well, after all that driving today."

"As long as the rift alarm is on, we can both catch some sleep – if anything happens it'll wake us up."

"I think I can make it down the ladder- "

"I'll kip on the sofa. You might want to call Jack up and let him know what's happened."

"Shit, you're right. I'll do that once I'm in bed –"

"Planning on distracting him with phone sex?"

"I may have to." Ianto rolled his eyes as he considered Jack's reaction.

"And that's why I'll let you make **that** phone call."

* * *

"She what?!"

Jack leant up on one elbow and glared at the phone. He'd been curled up in bed, drifting off to sleep when he'd heard the ring tone indicating an incoming call from Ianto. His delight had soon turned to horror as Ianto had explained about Gwen and UNIT.

"I am trying to stay calm, but dammit, Ianto, this isn't doing my blood pressure any good. Yeah, you're right, I'll speak to her tomorrow – we'll think of something. But what the hell made UNIT snoop around in the first place?"

Jack listened patiently as Ianto cleared his throat before carefully describing reasonable scenarios for UNIT being concerned about the lack of personnel monitoring the rift. He understood that Ianto was being mindful of potential UNIT surveillance and played along, all the while fuming quietly to himself.

He wondered if there were spies from UNIT surrounding the farmhouse, perhaps they'd seen him with Ianto, or even watched him interact with Megan earlier that evening. He should have known that they'd been monitoring his movements. They'd always seen Torchwood as a rival organisation, with freedom from government interference and a budget they envied.

"Yeah, I'm still here. You say you explained that my mission is classified? I'll send the security code to confirm that. Yes, Ianto, I promise I won't leave the cottage any more … well, yes, I did this evening. I only spoke with Megan … no, it was dark… you're right though, she is something special, isn't she?"

He heard the intake of breath from Ianto, and despite wanting to continue with their earlier discussion, he knew that he couldn't take the risk. Not while there was a chance that UNIT were listening in on their phone calls.

"You sound shattered, Ianto. Where are you?... Really? What are you wearing…? No, it's OK, I'll let you get some sleep. Speak soon."

Turning the light on, Jack swung his legs out of the bed and decided it was time to call in some favours. He'd deal with Gwen in the morning, but before then he'd make sure UNIT called off any surveillance. He knew they had been involved in several operations in North Wales over the past several decades – including an incident concerning giant mutant maggots in old coal mining tunnels. The Doctor had solved that problem – but it was a version of the Doctor far younger than any version he'd met, older in countenance, yet younger chronologically. His companion at the time was Jo Grant – and Jack knew her. He'd established contact with all of the companions of the Doctor that he could find in the UK; even if he hadn't met them all in person, he took it upon himself to establish and fund a support network for ex-companions. Jo had married a Welsh scientist and settled not far from the valley where Jack was staying. In common with all those who'd worked with the Doctor when he'd been scientific advsior to UNIT she had special privileges.

"Hi there, Jo? It's me, Jack. Sorry to disturb you, but I have a favour to ask."

* * *

Ianto had been up for several hours, detailing his idea to Owen and emailing Jack notes, clearly specifying that this was a cover story to prevent other members of Torchwood from accidentally revealing his secret mission. Both Owen and Jack thought it was a brilliant idea and Ianto was pleased with it as well. He scraped together the last few crumbs of the piece of fruit cake he'd had for breakfast, letting the moist fruit stick the crumbly cake together. He'd found the slab of cake wrapped in foil nestled amongst his clothes when he'd unpacked his bag to find his toothbrush. He'd smiled as he imagined Jack smuggling it away when his back had been turned.

Stretching his arms above his head, he felt the tension across his shoulders ease slightly. With any luck, they'd manage to put paid to Gwen's unwanted curiosity and buy themselves some manoeuvring space.

Gwen arrived at the same time as Tosh, she'd set off earlier, but she had stopped off to pick up food for everyone for breakfast on the way. She was anxious to get answers to questions, especially as she'd not been able to figure out where Torchwood could possibly have a base in Snowdonia, although Rhys had suggested that the abandoned slate caverns in Blaenau Ffestiniog seemed a likely location for a secret underground base.

"Good morning, ladies, just in time," Ianto called down from his vantage point on the balcony outside Jack's office. "Jack wants everyone in the boardroom in half an hour."

"He's back?" asked Gwen incredulously.

"No – he's Skyping us from his hideaway in the Bahamas."

Gwen swung around and glared at Owen angrily.

"Stop taking the piss, Owen!"

"It's not a complete lie, Gwen. Come on, now – you may not take like taking orders from me or Owen, but Jack expects you to do what he says, even if he's not here in person."

* * *

"I don't believe it! You can't ask me to-"

"I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. I'm going to be based here for approximately eight more weeks, until the gestation period is safely over."

"But surely that should be Owen's job?"

"Like I said, the expectant mother is dangerous – I'm the only one who can safely handle her."

"And Owen's been to carry out checks?" Tosh asked with her eyes narrowed suspiciously. She was not as outraged as Gwen, but then again, she had spent more time watching the reactions of Owen and Ianto, rather than hanging on Jack's every word. There was something almost rehearsed about the statement that Jack had issued. It may well have been a response to the delving by UNIT, but Tosh had caught the way Ianto and Owen had deliberately avoided looking at each other and she could have sworn she'd seen Ianto suppress a chuckle with a well timed cough.

"Yes."

"What about Ianto?" Gwen pointed at her colleague.

"He's not a doctor – why should he be involved?" Jack frowned as if he didn't know what Gwen was getting at.

"Well – he was away all week."

"He was visiting family while recuperating from his injuries. I approved his request." Jack grinned at Ianto. "Good to see you looking healthier, Ianto."

"Thank you, sir." Ianto smiled back, pleased to see that Jack was genuinely happy with him.

"So – let me see if I've got this straight," Gwen steered the conversation back towards the revelation that Jack had made. "You're got to stay with this alien until it gives birth, I can understand that. But why couldn't it have stayed in Cardiff?"

"Too dangerous, Gwen – the rift presents an unacceptable risk." Jack had no difficulty looking deadly serious as he answered Gwen's question. It was a stroke of genius on Ianto's part, using a story that stuck so close to the truth. "As I said there could be a diplomatic incident if anything about this pregnancy gets leaked."

"And you didn't trust me, I mean us."

"Owen had to know and naturally the father of the child was kept in the loop. As for anyone else, the fewer that knew what was going on the easier it was to maintain security. Except now that UNIT are sniffing around, I need to make sure you are all aware of the nature of my mission so you can work together to keep UNIT in the dark. Do you understand what I'm asking, Gwen?"

"Of course, Jack, I'm not stupid. What about Tosh and Ianto? Why aren't you questioning them?"

"They hadn't demanded to know what I was up to – they accepted my orders. What's more, they didn't give UNIT the impression that I'd walked out and left Torchwood Cardiff without clear instructions-"

"I-"

"Spare me, Gwen. Owen – I want you to arrange a rota so that there's always three of you on duty at any one time. I'll be in touch regarding your next appointment with our guest."

"Can I visit?" Gwen ventured optimistically. "Perhaps I could help out?"

"No, Gwen – the presence of other females is seen as a threat and she'd possibly attack you. The scent of oestrogen provokes a violent reaction - another reason to keep her isolated from the general population."

Gwen turned to glare at Ianto who appeared to have inhaled some coffee as he had started to choke uncontrollably. Owen was slapping him on the back heartily.

"Ribs – mind my ribs," Ianto clutched his side, tears rolling down his cheeks. "Oh shit, that hurts…"

"Oh dear, that does sound problematic," Tosh had caught Jack's eye when Gwen had her back to the screen. "I take it you're safe then, testosterone doesn't provide the same trigger?"

"Not at all, if anything my pheromones seem to keep her calm." Jack smiled fondly at Tosh – she obviously wasn't totally buying his story, but was playing along with the others. "I've said more than I should have done, this conversation must remain secret. If I say anything more, I'll have to get Owen to administer retcon to all of you, understood?"

All four members of Torchwood nodded solemnly. Ianto seriously wondered if he could get away with putting it in the next pot of coffee he brewed.

"And as soon as the baby arrives, the aliens will be able to leave the planet safely?"

"Yes, Gwen." Jack bit his lip and made the effort to look as sincere as possible. The fact that he was experiencing the sensation of a bladder full to bursting point helped him achieve that enigmatic, yet pained, expression that Gwen would interpret as earnestness.

"OK. I just wished you could have told us this earlier. It shouldn't take UNIT sticking their noses in before you open up to us."

"Haven't you listened to anything I've just told you, Gwen? Security!"

"I've got it, my lips are sealed."

"Thank you. Now I think I should go now. Ianto, perhaps you could sort out some supplies for Owen to bring up with him? I'll send you a list."

"Yes, sir. I'll make sure you get exactly what you need."

"I know you will. Buy for now, kids. Be good and do what Owen tells you to do."

With one last lascivious wink, Jack's face disappeared from the screen, his grin appearing to linger in the manner of that belonging to a certain Cheshire cat.

"Bloody hell," Gwen swore as she tried to assimilate the last twenty minutes of surreal discussion.

"You can say that again," muttered Ianto, as he swept his foot aside quickly to avoid Tosh's heel impaling his toe.

"Right then, tea boy – I think we could all do with some bloody good coffee now. The decent stuff, alright?"

"Definitely, Owen."

There was a critical concentration of retcon that didn't wipe memories, but muddled them, blurred their edges and made them unreliable. That's what was needed.

Meanwhile, Ianto was carefully planning his next visit to see Jack.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N** - Special delivery of next chapter early, as it's a seasonal chapter. Less angst and more comfort to be had here.

Thanks to all who've reviewed, favourited and followed - your feedback has been wonderful over the past year. Best wishes, and a Happy New Year to all of you.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

Following Jack's conversation and a pot of Ianto's excellent coffee, there was no more speculation about Jack's mission. There was a quiet acceptance of the fact that it was sensitive and that UNIT were never to find out the true nature of the operation involving a pregnant alien in north Wales.

Owen was relieved to a large extent as it made his weekly trips more of a routine and Tosh helped him calibrate the various medical scanners without question. Ianto was able to put together special 'care' packages for Jack catering for his cravings without having to hide his actions.

Although Tosh had been suspicious at the time, she couldn't put her finger on the exact reason for her scepticism, it all made perfect sense. She occasionally wondered why she didn't know more about the particular species of alien and the circumstances surrounding its discovery in Cardiff and then she realised that Jack had deliberately kept the details secret to protect all concerned. There were times when she wanted to ask Owen questions, but he pre-empted her curiosity with a finger to her lips and a gentle shake of his head.

Meanwhile, Gwen was under the impression that Jack had entrusted her with more facts than the others knew, after all none of them were talking openly of his special mission, therefore they couldn't know about it, not like she did. After all, Ianto had told her, as he'd handed her that coffee, that she should feel privileged that Jack had taken her into his confidence. He'd whispered that in her ear so none of the others heard him – and she could have sworn he looked slightly envious. That was enough for Gwen. Jack trusted her so she would keep his secret, she wouldn't discuss it with anyone and she'd make sure that UNIT never found out what was going on.

* * *

Owen was pleased that Ianto helped him sort out the duty roster, because he didn't have the patience for that sort of thing. It was presented in a grid, with colour codes for each person, detailing when they were meant to be on active duty, when they were to be on call within the Hub or at home and when they each got their allocated twenty four hours break once a week, barring emergencies.

"Why am I pink?" asked Owen, outraged.

"Because I knew you'd react that way," replied Ianto, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Gwen's yellow and Tosh is green – why couldn't I have been green? Pink's a –"

"If you're about to say 'girlie colour' I suggest you check the colour of my shirt and change your mind. Remember – I'm able to determine who gets Friday and Saturday nights off."

"Pink's fine. I see you haven't allocated dates for my appointments with Jack."

"Thought it best to make those more random – but if you do those on any of the dates where all four of us are on duty, then there will still be three here to respond to any situation. Of course, in case of emergencies you can always reschedule your check ups can't you?"

"Yeah – as long as I check up on him at least once a fortnight that should be fine. What about you?"

"What about me?" Ianto frowned, confused.

"I'm not going to be able to take you with me, not if we're going to keep to this rota."

"I'll find a way – don't worry."

"You're not able to drive long distances yet, you know. Especially not on those roads with your car – that arm's not healed enough for gear changes every five minutes."

"I know." Ianto looked ruefully at his left arm.

* * *

Jack was looking forlornly out of the window of the cottage – the falling snow had coated the branches of the straggly hawthorn trees and was fast obscuring the track that led to the front door. He sighed wearily. It had been over two weeks since he'd spoken to his team and to Jo Grant. In the meantime, he'd received an apology from a UNIT general who had reassured him that his activities would be respected and that UNIT would only provide assistance if requested.

Owen had been to check up on him three days beforehand and had frowned at his blood pressure readings. He'd instructed Jack to keep his feet up and to quit worrying. That wasn't easy, not with his inability to do anything to ease the workload on his team. He was especially worried about Ianto, he'd barely had chance to recover from his injuries and was already back at work, the only concession being not to drive and to co-ordinate the majority of operations from the Hub, rather than be out in the field.

The wind picked up, swirling the snow into funnels that caught the light from his window and spun it into patterns reminiscent of the golden light of the time vortex. He wondered why he had gone along with this plan of isolation and then thought of UNIT – if any of their spies had observed his growing belly and had seen him withdraw from active duty, they'd have intervened for certain. It was a sad fact that there were forces in the government that had worked with Saxon and had not been rooted out – there was no way of knowing who they were or in which departments they were hiding, but Jack knew damn well that Saxon hadn't got where he had alone, he'd had assistance.

Perhaps he should have sought help from Martha and asked her to get the Doctor involved – he could have left Earth, had the baby and returned within the week. He need never have told Ianto or got Owen involved. But he'd wanted to tell Ianto, after all he was the father and part of Jack couldn't help wanting him to be as excited as he was by the impending birth of their child. He'd fathered plenty of children since he'd been stranded on Earth, probably more than he knew about, but it was different bearing that child himself, knowing that he was carrying Ianto's son. Although they weren't able to share the experience as he'd have liked, he couldn't have denied Ianto the opportunity to be involved.

He shivered, partly from melancholy and partly because the fire was dying down and he should really have headed for bed an hour ago, but there was something keeping him up and it wasn't just the snow. He'd not heard from Ianto yet and he always called every evening, even if it was just to let Jack know that everyone was alright and to wish him a good night. It had become a habit of theirs. Since he'd been well and truly reprimanded by Owen for waking Ianto up at all hours of night, preventing the poor man from getting a decent night's sleep, Jack had agreed to let Ianto be the one to make the calls and to determine how long they lasted.

Jack looked at his phone and wondered if it would hurt, just this once, to call Ianto. Then again, maybe they were out dealing with something that had fallen through the rift and his call could distract them and cause an accident. He'd never forgive himself if it did.

So Jack decided to add one more log to the fire and to curl up on the sofa and give it until the fire died down once more before going to bed. He pulled the crocheted blanket over his legs and settled back into the cushions and allowed himself to be mesmerised by the flickering flames that seemed to be dancing up and down the logs, as the fire crackled restlessly.

* * *

The sound of his footsteps was muffled as the man trudged through the thick snow, the soles of his boots not touching the gravel that usually announced visitors to the lonely cottage. His head was tucked down to keep the sharp wind out of his eyes and his back was bowed under the weight of a large rucksack. He fumbled in his pocket and then swore as he dropped what he'd been looking for in the snow. Pulling off his glove with his teeth he sunk down to his knees and began digging around in the snow looking for the object he'd lost. He slid the rucksack off and leaned it against the wall, cursing again as it knocked over a terracotta pot, spilling old compost across the flagstones.

"Bloody hell," he muttered to himself as the cold numbed his fingertips, rendering his search even more helpless.

"Stay exactly where you are – keep your hands where I can see them!"

The man looked up to find himself staring at the dangerous end of an old fashioned pistol.

"Surprise?" he offered with a shrug.

"Ianto?"

Jack could hardly make out the other man's face under the hood of his coat and with a scarf wrapped around the lower half of his face, but the nose was unmistakable, as was the accent.

"Um, I dropped my key-"

"What the hell are you doing out there – get inside now!" Jack grabbed hold of Ianto's elbow and started to pull him inside.

"Wait a minute – got to bring my bag inside."

Ianto took hold of the straps and heaved the rucksack off the ground and dragged it inside.

"Happy Christmas, Jack." Ianto smiled shyly as he pulled off his other glove and tugged the scarf free from around his neck.

Jack grinned and shook his head.

"Time may run slower up here, but I'm pretty sure it's not Christmas until next week."

"Yeah, I know, but Gwen asked for that day off and Owen's reserved New Year. So I thought we'd celebrate early."

"Is that why your bag weighs a ton?" Jack hefted the rucksack up to move it away from where it was blocking the doorway. "You impersonating Santa?"

"That all depends on whether or not you've been a good boy." Ianto winked as he let Jack help him out of his coat, melting clumps of snow scattering as he did so. "No peeking inside the bag, please."

Ianto sat down to pull his boots off his feet, not an easy job with his fingers tingling as the feeling came back to them. Sitting down also brought the soaking wet, cold denim into direct contact with his legs and he shivered involuntarily.

"You look frozen. Hang on, I didn't hear a car – you didn't break down, did you?" Jack scowled as he hung the wet coat up on the rack by the door.

"Nope – I got the train from Cardiff to Bangor and arranged for a private taxi to take me as far as the village and I walked from there."

"In the snow?"

"It wasn't actually snowing when I set off from Cardiff. The forecast only said snow showers possible, not blizzards – honestly, Tosh's rift predictor is more accurate than the bloody weather forecast for Wales."

"It's nearly midnight, Ianto – just how long has it taken you to get here?"

"Midnight? Oh … well I caught the train at just after six this evening and it got into Bangor not long after ten o'clock. It should only have taken about half an hour by road from there, but visibility was awful-"

"You idiot, why didn't you call and let me know you were coming? I nearly shot you! I thought you were -"

"It was meant to be a surprise," said Ianto sheepishly.

"Well consider yourself successful on that front." Jack held out a hand to help hoist Ianto up from the chair he'd collapsed in. "Come on, let's get you warmed up – time to get out of those wet clothes."

"Hang on," Ianto glanced at his watch and raised an eyebrow. "That's four minutes and twenty seconds before trying to get me out of my clothes. You're slacking!"

"Very funny – now come on, I've still got some of your clothes here from the last time you stayed, they're clean and dry. They're in the bottom drawer in the bedroom."

While Ianto changed into a pair of dry jeans and a thick woollen sweater, Jack stacked up more logs on the fire and put the kettle on to boil.

"When did you last eat?" Jack called out.

"Oh, let's think - I had a sandwich on the train and a packet of crisps."

"How long ago was that?"

"Um – just outside of Cardiff I guess, so that would be around five hours ago."

"Sit down – I'll reheat some soup for you. Megan made some leek and potato soup for me – it's really good with grated cheese on top – fancy some of that?"

"Hey, what's going on here? I thought we had ground rules for playing role reversal?"

"Well, seeing as you decided to risk life and limb in this weather to come visit me, the least I can do is to feed you up." Jack checked the contents of the fridge as he fetched out the jug of home made soup. "I think I've got enough food in for breakfast, but it looks like I'll have to get Megan to drop off extra rations tomorrow. How long are you staying?"

"Until the day after tomorrow – the earliest train out of Bangor gets into Cardiff at about nine thirty, or there's one a bit later, at six in the morning, gets in at ten – it's pushing it, but I'll put in a later shift that evening-"

"Just one day?" Jack couldn't keep the disappointment from his voice. He'd not seen Ianto for a while and had hoped to have longer with him before he had to return to Torchwood.

"Yeah, one day. But two nights." Ianto took hold of Jack's face and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Come on, let's make the most of them."

Jack slid his arms around Ianto's waist and pulled him as close as his growing stomach would allow.

"Yeah, let's do that."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N **A long time coming I know, half written when the snows of December cloaked the countryside, but now at Easter, a final update to the Christmas interlude. Althought the season is wrong, there's still been plenty of snow this week in the UK and it's still icy cold outside. Maybe this chapter will provide some warmth.

Apologies for lateness of update - and thanks to all those who have patiently waited.

* * *

**Chapter 13**

Jack woke up to find an arm that wasn't his draped across his bulging abdomen. He could feel warm breath against his neck – the steady pattern indicating that his companion was yet to wake up. He took hold of Ianto's hand and pressed it gently against the smooth skin and waited. Even though Ianto was still asleep, his hand automatically began to move down, instinctively reaching towards Jack's groin. Suppressing the urge to laugh, Jack dragged the errant hand back to where it had been before and held it in place.

"What?" Ianto's question was muffled and sleep-slurred, but the confusion was down to more than the fact that he was barely awake. He was aware of Jack's large hand covering his, but there was something else he was feeling and he couldn't work out what it was.

"Shh," hushed Jack. "Keep it there and wait."

Then it happened again, a disturbance beneath the skin and muscle of Jack's abdomen.

"Is that what I think it is?" whispered Ianto.

"Yeah – that's our boy, kicking up a storm. He's been waking me up like that for the past week."

"Bloody hell."

Uncoordinated and dishevelled, Ianto scrambled clumsily around the bed until he was on the other side of Jack. Kneeling on the edge of the bed, he leant forward, pressing his hand gently against the curve of his distended abdomen.

"Whoa … he's definitely getting a work out in there." Ianto sat back on his haunches, grinning sappily.

Jack could have wept at the sight of Ianto with all of his guards down. His hair was sticking out messily and there was a scattering of love bites visible on the fair skin of his throat – reminders of their enthusiastic love making the previous night. For one precious moment in time, he wasn't '_Ianto Jones, Torchwood operative'_, he was just Jack's lover, and the father of his unborn son. Tears welled up in Jack's eyes.

"Ianto, I –"

"No." Ianto shook his head quickly as he moved his hand to cover Jack's mouth, keeping the words from spilling free. "Don't say it. Please. Not like this."

Ianto's face had fallen as he realised what Jack was about to confess. He didn't want to hear Jack say that to him while he was pregnant. It would just be the hormones talking. If Jack ever told him how he felt about him, he wanted it to be just between the two of them. He knew it was selfish, but he didn't want Jack to profess his love for him while he was pregnant, because he'd never know if that was the only reason Jack felt that way.

"Hey, what's up?" Jack reached out and pulled Ianto down to lie next to him. "What's upsetting you?"

"This, I guess." Ianto admitted openly, unable to evade the truth when Jack was looking at him with such a hurt expression on his face. "You, me … the baby. It's not as if we were in that sort of relationship before this happened … and now… now, it's like it's the only reason we are."

"Just because I never allowed myself to tell you how I felt, or even admit it to myself, doesn't mean I didn't have those feelings. You do know that, don't you?"

"I… to be honest with you, Jack, no. I don't know that. You never … we never…" Ianto stuttered, trying to think of how to explain what was going through his head. "Come on, it's not like we were together like Gwen and Rhys."

"And for that I'm profoundly grateful - I'm not sure I could've forgiven you if you'd slept with Owen."

"Hang on there – what makes you think I'd be the one to sleep around?" Ianto turned his head sharply and glared at Jack. "I think you'll find that's your track record, not mine!"

"Not with Owen, though-" Jack shrugged, unable to deny the fact that he'd done more than his fair share of bed hopping in the past, especially as he'd not hidden the truth from Ianto in the early days of their relationship. After all Ianto had been the one to deal with the assorted stains on his dirty laundry.

"OK – spit it out, what you mean is that it would've been Gwen," Ianto swallowed hard. "You'd have slept with Gwen."

"You do know that if we were Gwen and Rhys, that wouldn't make sense-"

"You know what I'm getting at."

"Yeah, but we're not like them. We're not a –"

"Couple?" Ianto sighed, ready for what was coming. This was precisely the reason he didn't want to hear Jack make admissions of love brought on by sentimental moments.

Jack picked up on the dejection in Ianto's voice and cursed himself silently as he rolled over onto his side and looked Ianto straight in the eye.

"No, we're not a couple, we're more than that. Couples like Gwen and Rhys see each other outside of working hours, they may go out for meals together and even take vacations – but they don't spend every working hour alongside one another. Regular couples don't fight side by side, facing possible death every day. You've always been more than that to me."

Ianto blinked, partly to clear his eyes and partly to make sure he wasn't still asleep and dreaming this conversation. But with Jack gripping hold of his shoulders as if to stop him from escaping, it was evidently happening.

"What exists between us is more than Gwen and Rhys will ever have. Don't you ever forget that, Ianto Jones."

Before Ianto could summon up a suitable response, a hammering at the front door shattered the moment.

"What the hell?" muttered Jack, frustrated at not having found out if he'd got through to Ianto.

"Oh shit – that'd be Megan. I asked her to do some shopping for me."

Ianto scrambled out of the bed and pulled a t-shirt on over his head. As he bent over to search for his jeans, Jack automatically took the opportunity to admire the view, although his pleasure was tempered by the sight of the scars running down the backs of Ianto's legs. The jagged white lines, from where the tree branches had ripped at his flesh, when he'd come close to falling from that cliff, were ugly reminders of yet another occasion when Jack had almost lost him.

"Shopping?" asked Jack, nonplussed by the mundane response he'd received after opening up his heart to Ianto.

"Food – I've got a Christmas lunch to cook." Ianto said as he hopped from one foot to another getting into the crumpled pair of jeans he'd hastily removed the night before.

"You've planned this all out haven't you?"

"You know me, Jack. I live for arranging catering supplies." Ianto leant down to kiss Jack full on the mouth. "I won't be long – keep the bed warm."

Ianto slipped out of the bedroom quickly and, before opening the front door to Megan, he rubbed his hand over his face and took a deep breath. He felt guilty at the relief of having an opportunity to gather his thoughts and feelings. But he was almost wishing he'd allowed Jack to admit his love for him in the trite three word declaration, he could have put that down to hormones, but what he'd heard instead went far deeper and, truth be told, it scared him.

* * *

It was a few hours later when Jack eventually woke up, having fallen asleep after having thoroughly enjoyed both breakfast and Ianto in bed. There was a note on the unoccupied pillow next to his head, which made his heart clench momentarily until he read it.

'_Get a shower and get dressed, I.'_

It made a change having someone issue him with orders and a quick sniff under the covers was enough to convince him that it was good advice.

The damp towels in the hamper indicated that Ianto had already showered whilst he'd been fast asleep. He frowned at the missed opportunity and the fact that he was sleeping more heavily as the pregnancy developed. He'd have to increase levels of security once Ianto returned to Cardiff.

On emerging from the bathroom, Jack frowned at the packages that had been left on the bed – which he noted with amusement had been re-made with fresh sheets. Ianto really was the master of stealth housekeeping. The Christmas presents, because that was exactly what they appeared to be, wrapped in paper decorated with cute penguins, bore gift tags each bearing the same instruction:

'_To be opened before lunch, I x'_

Tearing the paper off of the larger package revealed two pairs of trousers, not unlike the ones he used to wear, although as his waist had expanded he'd had to resort to loose fitting jogging bottoms, along with baggy t-shirts, a look he detested. However, as he unfolded the dark blue fabric, he could see that the seams had been let out, extra panels had been meticulously stitched into the sides and the waistbands had hidden elasticated sections. He couldn't help but grin as he sat on the edge of the bed and tugged a pair comfortably up and over his hips. Inside the other package were two pale blue shirts, similarly adjusted to accommodate his changing body shape.

Only Ianto could, and would have, given him the gift of his identity back to him. The others were aware of how attached he was to his dated style of clothing, although they mostly thought it was an affectation, especially Owen. However, Ianto knew that it went deeper than that and signified an ideal that Jack tried to live up to – if the suit he wore was a shield that he hid behind, Jack's clothes were the standard he tried to live by.

By the time Jack emerged from the bedroom, his eyes wiped dry of the emotional tears he'd shed, he felt much more like his old self, even though he'd had to abandon the idea of wearing braces.

As soon as he opened the door into the cosy inner sanctum of the cottage he was taken aback by the transformation wrought by Ianto. He inhaled deeply, revelling in the atmosphere that was imbued with the scents of Christmas – pine needles and spices, roasting meat and vegetables.

The fire had been rekindled and was gently roaring. Draped across the mantelpiece were sprigs of holly laden with berries, along with cuttings of pine heavy with cones. A glance at the damp boots by the door confirmed his suspicion that Ianto had trudged through snow drifts to collect them.

Turning around he noticed a small heap of packages on the coffee table, all immaculately wrapped in the same paper that had been wrapped around the clothes he wore. Then he saw Ianto leaning in the doorway to the kitchen, his sleeves rolled up and a satisfied smile on his lips.

"Thank you for the clothes, they're perfect. But … I haven't got you anything," Jack blurted out, feeling guilty.

"Oh, I don't know about that. You've given me something I never thought I'd have – not after losing Lisa."

"A child?" Jack frowned uncertainly.

"A reason for wanting to stay alive," Ianto said quietly as he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Jack.

Neither man spoke for a few moments, realising that the Christmas spirit that Ianto had crafted so skilfully was making them both more open and candid than they'd usually allow themselves to be.

"Drink?" Ianto tilted his head in the direction of the pan that was simmering away on top of the stove.

"I'm not sure Owen would approve of mulled wine, but you go ahead." Jack sighed, he'd not missed alcohol as he rarely touched it, but he'd thought Ianto would have realised he couldn't drink.

"It's not alcoholic – it's that spiced berry cordial. I added a few sticks of cinnamon, cloves and some slices of orange and lemon – tastes just like the real thing, but safe for the baby."

Shaking his head at the ridiculous notion of ever doubting Ianto's attention to detail, Jack followed him into the kitchen. He watched on as Ianto carefully dipped the ladle into the pan and transferred a serving with slices of fruit into a large white mug. The rich red colour of the liquid appeared to glow as it sloshed against the sides of the mug.

"Sorry about the lack of appropriate glasses, but at least these won't crack."

Jack tentatively took a sip of the hot liquid and licked his lips with pleasure.

"Thank you, it's delicious. You've been busy I see …. and smell. What's cooking?"

"Christmas lunch, more or less. Chicken instead of a turkey, but with all the trimmings. I've got root vegetable roasting in the oven, carrots and parsnips with honey, potatoes with garlic and rosemary. There should be enough food here to keep you going for the rest of the week."

The realisation that he'd be eating the leftovers on his own, saddened Jack. It had almost been possible to imagine that this was their life together, in this cottage, miles away from the cares of the world and the reality of Torchwood. But within twenty four hours, Ianto would be gone again.

"Hey there, come on – it's meant to be a feast, not a last meal." Ianto smiled as he took a drink from his own cup.

"It better not be," mumbled Jack.

Ianto sighed as he took both of their cups and set them on the table. He knew words wouldn't make Jack feel any better, but the kiss they shared, warm and spice flavoured made for an excellent distraction.

* * *

Jack looked out of the kitchen window as the robins fed on the scraps he'd put outside on a stone bench cleared of snow. They'd been drawn to the light spilling out from the cottage onto the pristine white landscape beyond. The sun had yet to rise and the moon was still clearly visible in the early morning sky.

He took a sip of the decaffeinated coffee that Ianto had made for him – he'd sourced some that almost tasted as good as the real stuff. It had gone cold, but he'd tried to make it last as long as possible. Despite the lingering scents of the meal they'd shared, and the pine needles and cinnamon, the cottage seemed bereft, as lonely as he felt.

The previous night, he'd not wanted to go to sleep, knowing that Ianto had to set off early in the morning. Although he knew Ianto would say goodbye before leaving, he wanted to make the most of every single minute he had with the man he'd grown to love so dearly.

Jack could have cursed the damn endorphins that conspired to pull him into the realm of sleep, waking up to hear Ianto trying to pack quietly by the light of the table lamp in the living room. There hadn't been enough time to persuade him to return to bed for one last cuddle. Of course, Ianto had been the sensible one, pointing out that Jack's idea of a cuddle would involve losing all of his clothes and his sense of time.

A sharp pain in his abdomen drew Jack's attention back to the present, but didn't prevent him reminiscing of the hand that had rested against his stomach the previous morning, or the smile on Ianto's face as he'd felt their son kicking for the first time.

"Hush there, he'll be back. He promised me."

* * *

In a train clattering through the silent valleys, Ianto pressed his face to the window, looking our over the darkened hillsides. He'd tried to be positive for Jack, optimistically planning his next visit as he tied the laces on his boots, avoiding looking Jack in the eye. He'd kept his fears to himself and tried to be strong, for Jack. But now there was nothing to keep the tears from tracking their way down his cheeks.

He'd made promises he didn't know if he'd be able to keep.

Although his heart was Jack's and had been from the moment they'd met, his fate belonged to Torchwood and in all its history it had never had any qualms about the lives it took.

As he watched the long shadows of the leafless trees, touched by moonlight, crawl out across the blanket of snow, he swore that he would do whatever it took to make sure that the life Jack was carrying stayed out of the reach of Torchwood.


End file.
